Journey of a Thousand Steps
by Sailor Elf
Summary: Legolas had a sister who died and he believed he was responsible for her death. Years later, it comes back to haunt him when he, Aragorn, Elladan and Elrohir travel to a rarely visited, and dangerous, part of Mirkwood
1. Picnic Time!

Disclaimer-None from Lord of the Rings belong to me. No way, no how. Not Legolas, not Aragorn, not Thranduil, not Elrond or anyone else. Any original characters belong to me. 

Summary-Legolas had a sister who died in an accident and he believes he was responsible for her death. Years later, it comes back to haunt him when he, Aragorn, Elladan and Elrohir travel towards a rarely visited, and dangerous, part of Mirkwood.

Author's Note-This is somewhat based on 'The Lion King' (Which also doesn't belong to me). Please don't hurt me for that. ducks. It starts off that Legolas is around 1200 years old. (Yeah, I know but the whole '12-year old' got me thinking).This is my first story for Lord of the Rings and I don't know everything so if something's not quite right, I'm sorry.

00000

Journey of a Thousand Steps

Legolas ran out of his room and headed down the hall, laughing on the way. Thranduil walked out of his chamber only to move as his son ran right past him. He laughed as he watched the young elf hurry down the hall.

"He will never change and neither will his sister," he whispered to himself as he headed after them, a smile on his face

The young elf hurried up to a door and pounded on it with his fists until the door opened.

"Nanay, come on! We have got to go!" cried Legolas.

Nanaylia laughed as she joined her brother down the hall, her long blonde hair following her. Both Legolas and Nanaylia had a few things in common when it dealt with their features. Both had the same coloured hair, and the same length. Both were the same height and both had the same smile. Their father said they got that from their mother.

"Legolas, I'm coming! We will go for that picnic," she said. "Do not worry! We're going!"

Legolas' smile widened as their father walked up behind them.

"Remember that you shouldn't stray too far away from the palace when you do this today. Don't want the two of you to get hurt or captured," he warned them.

"We won't Father," they said in unison before running away from them.

He watched his two children head towards the kitchen and he quietly laughed.

"Those two are so... so... similar it's not even funny. I really don't want to see them get into a battle of the pranks with Elladan and Elrohir again. Those two sons of Elrond were pretty upset over their loss created by my own children," Thranduil whispered to himself.

Thranduil tried not to take favour either of his children. There was always at the back of his mind that even though Legolas was only slightly older than his sister, by a few hundred years, they never did act their age and probably never would. Especially when they were around Elladan and Elrohir. It would seem that they would never grow up.

00000

Legolas hurried into the kitchen, followed by his sister. They ran up to Chimone, their caretaker when their father was away on business. The older blonde haired elf looked at them with a smile.

"Here you go Legolas and Nanaylia. The food for your picnic, just like you asked. I hope you have fun," she told them, holding out a basket.

"Thank you Mony," they said in unison as Nanaylia took the basket from the older elf's arms.

"Just don't stray too far," she called out to them.

She watched them leave the room.

"Just don't go near the forest off the western part of the palace. That place is far away and way too dangerous for the two of you to be by yourselves," she whispered to herself.

00000

Legolas led the way out of their home on the horses. Nanaylia followed him, a smile on her face.

"Where are we going Legolas for our picnic?" she suddenly asked him.

"We are going to go there," replied Legolas as he pointed the way.

His sister gulped as he did so. She suddenly became scared for he was pointing in the western direction.

"Legolas, Father told us not to go in that direction. Chimone told us as well," she protested. "Why do you want to go there?"

"It doesn't seem like a bad place. Father and Chimone never told us why we should never go in there anyway," replied Legolas as he continued forward. "Come on, let's go."

Nanaylia cautiously followed him into the area, afraid for what may happen if they weren't careful. Legolas led her deeper into the woods. She looked from side to side, as if looking for something to jump out at them.

"Legolas, we should go back," Nanaylia complained to him.

"Come on, let's go," Legolas told her. "Nothing is here that could possibly hurt us."

"How do you know Legolas? Maybe Mony and Father told us not to come in here for a reason," Nanaylia replied as they continued on.

Legolas shrugged it off. Although he didn't admit it to his sister, he was becoming a bit scared himself. But of course, that all changed after they looked around.

"Where are we Legolas? We should go back before we get lost even further," Nanaylia complained.

"Maybe we should go back before Father worries about us," agreed Legolas as they led the horses back to where they came.

00000

Thranduil walked up to Chimone, who was straightening up Nanaylia's room.

"Chimone, where did Legolas and Naylia go for their picnic today? I forgot to ask them," he asked her,

"I am unsure. They did not confide in me about it," came the reply.

Thranduil became a bit nervous then. The idea of them going to the Dark Forest, as it came to be known to the elves, scared him in the back of his mind.

"They don't know what that place is called! They've gone there! I know they have!" he cried as he hurried out the door.

He quickly readied himself for the sudden trip.

00000

Legolas and Nanaylia tried to make their way out of the woods. It was dark and seemed to be very scary to them.

"Legolas, the trees, they aren't normal! Where are we going?" demanded Nanaylia, fear in her voice.

I don't know Nanay," he replied as they came across a large tree.

It was on its side and the roots cast eerie shadows as they rose to the sky. It looked like to the brother and sister that it had been pulled out years ago.

"Let's go check it out," Legolas said happily, forgetting his fear.

"Don't do it," Nanaylia protested.

But he ignored her and headed for the tree. But that all stopped when they heard evil laughing coming from the woods. The two froze and wondered what fate would befall them now.

TBC...


	2. The First Meeting of the Trio

Three figures walked out of the woods and surrounded the two elves. The horses backed up, leaving the two elves scared.  
  
"Well, well, well. What have we got here Banside?" wondered one.  
  
"I don't know Shentree. What do you think Sathed?" replied another.  
  
The third simply laughed and shook his head.  
  
"Just what I was thinking. A duo of trespassers!" agreed the second named Banside.  
  
Nanaylia and Legolas were really nervous at that point as they were soon circled by the three strange creatures.  
  
"What are you?" wondered Legolas as he stared at Banside.  
  
"Oh, us? We're creatures of the night. That's all you really need to know right now," replied Shentree as they advanced on the two.  
  
The two elf siblings were trying to get away from the three as they laughed.  
  
"You know, they could be a really good snack. We don't get too much food around here," Shentree laughed.  
  
"Yeah, we could have whatever's lying around the place," agreed Banside before he laughed.  
  
"I got one! Make mine a shishkabob(sp?), elf style. We could even use their own arrows to do to it!" Shentree said before Sathed popped up before her. "What Sathed?"  
  
"Hey, did we order this dinner to go?" wondered Banside as he glanced over at Shentree.  
  
"No, why?" replied Shentree.  
  
"'Cause there it goes!" cried Banside, looking at the two horses galloping away from them.  
  
The three hurried after the two elves, who were trying to find their way out of the dark forest.  
  
"Legolas, we shouldn't have come here," she told him.  
  
"I see that now but that's not what I'm worried about at the moment! Those... things are coming after us and noone's around to help!" replied Legolas as he led his horse down a path.  
  
Nanaylia followed him, making their way through the forest. She looked back to see the three were slowly gaining on them.  
  
"Legolas, they're following us and quickly catching up!" she called up to him.  
  
He glanced back himself to see that she was right. They were fast runners.  
  
"Come on, this way," he told her as he turned down another pathway.  
  
She followed him and so did the three creatures, whatever they were. Legolas wasn't sure what they resembled, only they were human size.  
  
Shentree suddenly stopped and notched an arrow. It flew towards Nanaylia's horse and hit it in the hind leg. The horse fell to the ground and sent its rider flying. She fell near a tree and she climbed to her feet before beginning to run with a noticeable limp.  
  
"Legolas!" she cried out as the three gained on her.  
  
Legolas stopped his horse before heading back for her. He grabbed her arm and tried to lift her onto the horse. He couldn't and quickly climbed off instead, hugging his sister.  
  
"Nanay," he whispered. "I'm sorry."  
  
Both closed their eyes for the attack but they soon heard cries of pain. They opened their eyes and looked to see that their father had arrived with a few of the guards. The three creatures were now quivering in fear and backing away from them. Thranduil did not appear to be a very happy elf.  
  
"King Thranduil," gasped Shentree.  
  
"Don't you ever come near my children again. I will slay you myself if you do," Thranduil told them, the anger evident in his voice.  
  
"Your children? These are your children? Did you know Banside?" asked Shentree, facing her comrade.  
  
"No! Did you?" he replied.  
  
"No!" she said.  
  
"Sathed?" they asked, facing him.  
  
He vigorously nodded his head, causing Thranduil to growl. The three quickly made their way away from the king. Thranduil turned and headed towards palace. He walked past his children, sad looks on their faces. They began to follow him, Legolas helping Nanylia along.  
  
***  
  
"What possessed you to go the 'Dark Forest'?" demanded Thranduil as he paced back and forth in his room.  
  
The brother and sister were sitting in chairs, their heads down.  
  
"We didn't think it was a bad place to go," Nanaylia quietly replied.  
  
"A bad place? I was planning to tell you about the place better when you were older but I guess you know now why Chimone and I told you not to go there. There're many creatures in that part of the kingdom that are very dangerous and I don't want you to go there again," he told them. "I don't want to lose either of you. You are the most important people in my life."  
  
The siblings looked at each other, feeling a bit guilty about what had happened.  
  
"Neither of you are to leave the palace for anything at all without myself and three guards," he sternly told them.  
  
"What?" the two cried, sounding upset.  
  
"I don't want the two of you getting hurt. Especially from those three things, whatever they are," he told them before sitting down next to them.  
  
The two nodded as they both hugged him.  
  
***  
  
Meanwhile, Banside was complaining as Sathed stood nearby, laughing his head off.  
  
"Sathed, why the heck are you laughing? This isn't funny!" Banside snarled at him.  
  
He growled at the laughing being in front of him.  
  
"Would you two be quiet?" Shentree yelled at them from in a tree  
  
Banside backed off and faced Shentree as she climbed down to them.  
  
"Look at us! No wonder we're in the position that we are! We keep getting ourselves into more trouble than not," she told them. "Sometimes, I don't believe that we're gargoyles, that we're pitiful, powerless creatures. What the heck are we going to do now?"  
  
Suddenly, a figure appeared from beyond the shadows. The three gathered together in a circle, afraid on who it might be until they realized who it was. The three sighed and relaxed as the dark-haired figure stepped up to them.  
  
"Oh Manlin, it's only you. We were thinking it was someone important," Shentree sighed.  
  
"Yeah, like Thranduil," Bandside muttered under his breath.  
  
"I see that," Manlin quietly replied.  
  
"Yeah, if only those two brats hadn't gotten away," Shentree said to her companion. "We would have had them too."  
  
"I practically had those elflings delivered right to your doorstep and you couldn't even take of them. What is Middle Earth coming to?" Manlin wondered as he looked away from the three. "After Legolas came to me for places he and his sister could go for their picnic, I figured I had them done with."  
  
"It's not like they were alone, you know. If Thranduil and his elven guards weren't there, we would have had them," Banside complained.  
  
Manlin suddenly smiled at a thought he just had. He quietly laughed to himself. The three stared at him with strange looks.  
  
"What's so funny?" asked Shentree, as the three of them glanced at each other, confused.  
  
"You've just given me a great plan to finally get back at Thranduil for what he did to me all those years ago. I am his advisor. I still stay around the palace though they don't know of my connections here. Those brats that he calls his children mean the world to him. If we got rid of them, I think that then, he would want to pine away and die," explained Manlin. "I know they will come to me sooner or later for advice about something. We'll lead them someplace where they can be killed without Thranduil being involved. Or perhaps we can kill them and have Thranduil witness their killing."  
  
The three gargoyles looked at each other, smiles on their faces.  
  
"Then let's go do it," Banside laughed. "We have a job to get prepared for."  
  
TBC...  
  
Author's Note-Sorry, couldn't help but parody the names of the gargoyles from the original names of the hyenas. (The original names are Shenzi, Banzai and Ed. Sometimes, I can't resist.) Some of the scenes are based on ones right from the movie. (Couldn't resist with that either. Ther's going to be a couple more like that.) 


	3. Horse Ride to Danger

Legolas walked along the palace walls, looking at the ivy growing along the walls. Nanaylia walked beside him, unusually quiet.  
  
"Legolas, I don't want to go back there again," she suddenly requested of him.  
  
"I don't blame you. I don't want to go back there. It's scary. Especially those things that we encountered. What are they?" agreed Legolas.  
  
"I don't know but what can we do now that Father doesn't want us to go anywhere alone?" wondered his sister.  
  
Legolas shook his head, now knowing what to do. They knew of the guard's presence behind them and they didn't mind anymore since what had happened a few days before.  
  
"How about we ask him that we go for a horse ride but we don't go around that area?" wondered Legolas, hoping she would like the idea.  
  
She obviously did for her eyes lit up in excitement. She nodded, causing her brother to smile.  
  
"We wouldn't have to go that far. Just far enough out to satisfy our curious needs," she told him.  
  
Legolas nodded as they hurried to find their father.  
  
***  
  
Manlin walked through the palace halls, wondering when the best time would be to begin his plan. He thought best that he do it immediately so that the children were out of the way very soon. He evilly smiled at the thought.  
  
'They will be out of the way and Thranduil will no longer be a problem in my plans to take over this kingdom,' he thought to himself. 'I have it all planned out and they will fall right into it.'  
  
It was then that the brother and sister could be heard down the hall from him. They were running and laughing as they headed towards the older elf. He smiled for he hoped that he could lead the children into a situation that could cost them their lives.  
  
"Let's go find Father and ask him about that. I'm sure he'll let us do this!" he heard Legolas say.  
  
"Yes, let's go find him! If he allows us to go for this horse ride, we could possibly ask Chimone if she wants to go as well," suggested Nanaylia. her face having a smile.  
  
Manlin smiled at this information.  
  
'Maybe...' he thought as he stopped by a window. He looked at a vase on the sill, filled with flowers. He picked one out of it and took in the smell. 'I can get something done on that ride that they take. If their father allows to go on this, of course. He will see his precious children die and he will then wilt away like this flower will eventually.'  
  
Manlin quietly laughed as he walked into the distance, away from the vase. The flower that he picked up was now on the floor, destroyed.  
  
***  
  
The two elflings hurried up to their father's room. They stood outside it, wondering who should be the one to knock and ask him.  
  
"You ask him," Legolas told his sister.  
  
"Me? Why me?" she wondered.  
  
"Because he'll listen to you," Legolas said.  
  
"You should ask him since you're older than me," Nanaylia retorted.  
  
"Why don't both of you go in and ask him?" came a female voice.  
  
Both turned around to Chimone standing behind them, hands behind her back.  
  
"Mony!" the two cried.  
  
They both hugged her and she laughed as they did so.  
  
"Whatever you want to ask your father, go in and ask him. I feel the worst he can say is no," she assured them.  
  
The brother and sister smiled before Nanaylia knocked on the door and heard a 'come in.' Chimone watched as the two siblings walked into the room.  
  
Legolas was being the brave one as he walked up to their father.  
  
"Ah, Legolas, Nanaylia, how may I help the two of you today?" Thranduil asked them.  
  
"Father, Nanaylia and I were wondering if we could go out for a horse ride today," Legolas replied, sounding a bit shaky.  
  
Thranduil could sense their slight uneasiness asking him about it and he smiled.  
  
"Of course you can," he replied before climbing to his feet. "It's been a long few days."  
  
The two smiled as the two of them hurried out of the room, Thranduil following them.  
  
***  
  
Soon, the three of them were on their way for a ride in the countryside, with three guards joining them.  
  
"Any particular place you want to ride?" Thranduil asked them.  
  
"Anywhere but that one forest. It's scary," Legolas replied.  
  
"I wouldn't let you go there even if you were accompained by myself or guards. That is a dangerous place and remember that you are never to go there again. I personally don't want to talk about the 'Dark Forest' again," Thranduil told them.  
  
"We won't," came the quick reply from the two of them.  
  
***  
  
Manlin walked up to Shentree, Banside and Sathed in a large cave.  
  
"I have good news for the three of you creatures," Manlin told them with a smile.  
  
"Hey, hey, hey. Remember now, we're gargoyles, not creatures," Shentree told him, Banside nodding in agreement.  
  
Manlin stared at her with a cold look in his eyes.  
  
"Except you can call us creatures! We don't mind you calling us that! Of course not!" she quickly added as Banside appeared to be a bit alarmed.  
  
"I'll let you off with that one but don't forget who's in charge here. Remember that I do possess dark magic. Those potions and spells are very good you know. They come in handy all the time," the elf told her. "Well, with what I was going to say. Those two brats and their father are out riding now. If you think you can get at least the two young elves dead, it'll be good. I'll even be there to help with a few tricks that are up my sleeve."  
  
The three nodded before Sathed began to laugh at the idea. Banside and Shentree both looked at with smiles on their faces before heading out.  
  
***  
  
Thranduil led his two children towards a ravine several hundred feet from the castle. Legolas and Nanaylia were both amazed by this place for they had never known about it.  
  
"This is a beautiful place! How long have you known about this place Father?" wondered Legolas.  
  
"Since before the two of you were even born. I even brought you both here soon after each of your births. I had planned to bring both of you back here and with what happened a few days, I decided to bring the two of you out here when you asked," he replied with a small smile. "This is where your mother and I used to come all the time."  
  
The two also gave smiles as they glanced at each other. Now they saw why their father asked the two guards to stay behind.  
  
"We are both happy that you brought us here," Legolas told him as they rode on.  
  
***  
  
Shentree, Banside and Sathed looked over the three royals and their guards. They were in the trees above them. Their wings slightly quivered on their backs, their hair was long and black and their skin appeared to be a bit scaly.  
  
"I never thought it'd be this easy!" Shentree quietly said to the others.  
  
The two nodded in agreement as they made their way through the trees, following the three. They looked around and spotted Manlin crouching on a small cliff nearby. He gave a small nod before lifting his hand and bringing it down, a cloud of smoke slowly appearing on the ground below him.  
  
***  
  
Thranduil suddenly began to glance from side to side, as if sensing something was wrong. He stopped the horse and the siblings immediately stopped theirs.  
  
"What's wrong?" wondered Legolas.  
  
"There is an evil around here. I can feel it," he quietly replied. "I am unsure where it is coming from but I do know it's here."  
  
"I thought you were the only one who knew about this place," Nanaylia said as she slowly became nervous.  
  
"I am the only one still alive that knows about it. Your mother and I used to come here all the time before she died," came the reply.  
  
The horses began to back up, as if sensing the evil presence as well. It was then that they heard a growling behind them and they turned to see wolves behind them, preparing to attack.  
  
"Where did they come from?" wondered Legolas as they managed to start their horses.  
  
The three moved to get away from the horses, who were slowly gaining on them. What they didn't see were the three gargoyles leading the wolves in the proper direction, forcing them to go the way they were going but the wolves didn't appear to need anyone leading them.  
  
Thranduil looked from side to side, as if trying to find something.  
  
"This way!" he finally yelled at them, pointing the way.  
  
He led them down a path. He hoped he could get his children away from the carnivorous animals. The king led Legolas and Nanaylia down the path until he saw the ground suddenly drop down. He stopped his horse as did his children. They turned around to face the animals still following them. Thranduil tried to figure out a way to get out of the way until Legolas glanced into the forest and saw a path leading away from the animals.  
  
"This way!" he cried as he led his horse towards the path.  
  
His father and sister looked over at Legolas before following him. The three followed the path as the wolves seemed to become closer and closer behind them until it managed to catch up with them. As it did so, Nanaylia's horse decided to rear up, causing its rider to fall off its back. She fell onto the ground, her head hitting against a rock. She cried out in pain and her brother and father heard her.  
  
"Nanaylia, I'm coming for you," Legolas called to his sister.  
  
Legolas went back for her as his father protested.  
  
"Legolas, Nanaylia, no!" he cried as he reached out for him.  
  
But Legolas ignored him as Nanaylia lay motionless in the grass. Legolas hurried to her side and knelt beside her.  
  
"Nanay," he quietly told her.  
  
When he didn't get a response, he gently picked her up and faced where he came from only to see the wolves now surrounding him. All were growling at him. He began to step back, not seeing the hill behind him.  
  
"Legolas! Nanaylia!" Thranduil cried again. "Watch out!"  
  
Legolas noticed the incline at that moment but it was too late. He tripped and started to slide down the hill but he managed to catch the root of a nearby tree. He hung onto his sister as she began to stir a little. She stared at him through partly opened eyes.  
  
"Legolas," she whispered as she saw his grip weakening. "We're not going to make it."  
  
"We can do this! We are going to make it!" Legolas told her but his grip was ever loosening .  
  
"I love you Legolas," was all she said before his grip broke and they rolled down the grassy hill.  
  
TBC... 


	4. Death of a Family Member

Thranduil watched helplessly as his two children fell from his view. He simply couldn't believe it.  
  
"No!" he cried out as the tears formed slightly in his eyes. "This can't be! Legolas! Nanaylia!"  
  
The elf couldn't move anywhere, shocked by what just happened before him. He wasn't believing that something like this was actually happening to him and noone was around to him or the two siblings.  
  
***  
  
The two young elves tumbled down the hill and Legolas felt himself being separated from his sister. He soon landed at the bottom of the hill and felt his body hit something hard. Pain began to lace through his body as he tried to move.  
  
He managed to lift himself up enough only to see Nanaylia was nowhere to be seen. At least nowhere in his sight.  
  
"Oh no. Where's Nanay?" he asked himself before lowering himself back down onto the ground. "Nanaylia, where are you?"  
  
He found he could barely move from his trip down the hill. He could still hear the wolves growling before yelping set in soon afterwards. He could only guess what was happening now as he drifted off into unconsciousness. He lay there, waiting for anyone to come and find his body.  
  
***  
  
Thranduil fell to his knees, thinking about the possibility that both of his children were dead.  
  
"No, this can't be! I can't believe it will end this way!" he cried out.  
  
That all changed when he heard the movement of arrows through the air and they hit the wolves. They yelped in pain. He looked back to see the three guards he ordered to stay back standing there with bows in their hands.  
  
Thranduil managed to stand up and unsteadily walk over to them. He stayed with them until all the wolves were dead or away from the scene.  
  
"My Lord, what has happened to Legolas and Nanaylia?" one of them asked.  
  
"They... they w...went over... t...the hill," the king managed to say, pointing to the place where the two had fallen over the edge.  
  
The three went over to look over the side. They saw Legolas at the bottom and they climbed down to get him.  
  
"We will get him my king. Stay here," one of the elves told Thranduil.  
  
Thranduil nodded, feeling the most helpless he had ever felt in his entire life. He couldn't help his children and they were possibly dead. That scared him a lot.  
  
***  
  
The next thing Legolas knew was the wet cloth on his forehead. He slightly opened his eyes to see Chimone looking down at him.  
  
"Mony," he whsipered. "How's Nanay? When can I go see her?"  
  
He saw that she looked away from him, obviously at someone else. He looked in her direction to see his father sitting across the room. He saw that his father appeared to be very sad.  
  
"Legolas, I have some bad news to tell you," the king told him, the tears falling down his face.  
  
"What happened to Nanay? Where is she?" demanded Legolas as he tried to sit up.  
  
The movement caused a headache to form and he placed a hand on his head. His father walked over to him and sat next to him on the bed, motioning to Chimone that she should leave. She stood up, bowed her head slightly and turned to leave the room. Once the door closed, Thranduil sighed and looked at his son.  
  
"Legolas, do you remember falling down the hill with Nanaylia?" Thranduil asked his son.  
  
Legolas nodded, wondering what this was leading towards. He was becoming very nervous.  
  
"Well, we found you and you were alive, thankfully, but we have been looking for the past three days for Nanaylia and we have not yet found her," Thranduil told him, sobs overtaking his voice. "We fear that she is dead and we are soon coming to believe that as well."  
  
Legolas was devastated by this news. He and Nanaylia were close. Very close and everyone around them knew that. The two of them would do everything together.  
  
"S...she's...dead?" Legolas barely managed to say.  
  
"It is a very strong possibility. We suspect that there were other wolves around the area and they made off with her body before we got to the two of you. I am so sorry Legolas. I am so sorry," Thranduil quietly told him.  
  
Legolas had begun to cry at that moment. Thranduil pulled him into an embrace.  
  
"We're both going to deeply miss her son. Everybody will miss her. May the Valar protect her," the young elf was told.  
  
Legolas gave a slight nod, wondering what was going to happen now.  
  
***  
  
"You idiots! Legolas is still alive! I wanted both of them to be dead, not just one of them!" Manlin yelled at the three gargoyles.  
  
"We're really sorry but be glad that we at least got the girl. She's dead!" Shentree told him. "We'll get the other brat another time.  
  
"I know that she's dead and we can't try to go after Legolas right away. If we do, Thranduil will suspect that something is amiss and begin to question everybody. He will feel that something is wrong on how close together his children 'accidentally' die," Manlin told them. "We will have to wait with Legolas' death."  
  
"And how long would that be, may I ask?" wondered Banside as Sathed moved to his side.  
  
"I am unsure. We might have to wait centuries. One way or another, Legolas will get to have the same fate as his sister," Manlin said as he turned away from the three.  
  
The three gargoyles looked at each other, giving each other smiles.  
  
"That's always a good thing," Banside told the other two.  
  
"Oh yes it is," agreed Shentree as Sathed began to laugh.  
  
***  
  
The days passed into weeks and Legolas was still fairly upset over his sister's death. The elves who were searching still hadn't found her body and they said that if they were to find it, they would have done so by now. Thranduil became just as upset as his son once they heard the news.  
  
"Nanay, why did this have to happen?" Legolas asked himself as he sat in a tree near the palace.  
  
The tree was special to both him and his sister. He remembered as they used to sit in it all the time before this happened. Now, they couldn't. Now that she was gone.  
  
"We can't sit in here anymore together and it's all my fault Nanay. If I had not suggested to go out on the ride, or if I hadn't let go of that root, you'd probably be here, alive and recovering. This is all my fault," Legolas cried, the tears beginning to fall down his face.  
  
Chimone and Thranduil watched him from the ground. They both sighed.  
  
"He's been like this since the day I told him we couldn't find his sister. I don't think there's been a day that's gone by where he hasn't cried. He mourns terribly for her and I imagine he will for a long time to come," Thranduil told Chimone. "She will be missed by everyone, but especially Legolas. "  
  
"I know. I don't doubt you at all," she agreed before they began to walk away.  
  
Legolas noticed them below the tree and watched them leave. He gave a sigh as he did so.  
  
"It's all my fault Nanay," he told himself. "It's all my fault."  
  
The tears were continuing to fall freely down his face as a slight wind came up.  
  
'Legolas,' he quietly heard amongst the breeze.  
  
TBC... 


	5. Returning to the Forest of Fears

Legolas  
  
The word rang out throughout his mind.  
  
"Legolas?" it came again, snapping him back to reality.  
  
The elf turned his head to stare at his friend sitting next to him.  
  
"Legolas, is everything alright?" Aragorn asked him, sounding concerned.  
  
"Everything is alright Aragorn. I am fine," Legolas replied, giving a small smile.  
  
But Aragorn saw through that smile. He knew something was bothering his elven friend. He couldn't tell what it was at the moment, but he knew it was something. Something that he didn't want to talk about just yet. Of course, he found Legolas never wanted to talk about it and it had been like that ever since he met the elf. There had always been something the elf kept hidden from him.  
  
"It is nice that you, Elrond and the twins could make it here and Arwen as well. I haven't seen Elrohir and Elladan for quite some time now," Legolas said to the man as they headed back into the palace.  
  
"I find it nice that we could make it. We almost didn't because of an incident that occured before we left. We managed to get it under control in time," Aragorn told him with a smile.  
  
The two walked into the building to be greeted by Elladan and Elrohir. The four smiled at each other.  
  
"It is so good to see you again Legolas. It has been a long time," Elrohir told him.  
  
"Yes, it has been," Legolas told him. "Well, is there something any of you would like to do while our fathers are talking business?"  
  
"I, personally, would like to go out on a horse ride," Elladan suggested. "What about that?"  
  
The others nodded and they headed for the stables.  
  
***  
  
"In which direction should we head?" Aragorn wondered after they left the stables and led the horses out of the palace.  
  
"Legolas, how about taking us to the forest west of the palace? Out of all the times we've been here, we've never gone there," suggested Elladan.  
  
They three of them noticed Legolas' paleness at the mere mention of the place.  
  
"Legolas, is something wrong?" asked Elrohir.  
  
"Nothing, I just don't think we should head in that direction," Legolas replied, shaking his head.  
  
"Why not? We've never gone there and this will probably be our only chance to go there. We only want to go long enough to satisfy our curiousity then we'll be back before our father and your father realize we're even gone," Elrohir told him as he began to head off.  
  
Elladan and Aragorn followed him but Legolas stayed behind for one last moment.  
  
"What am I doing going there again? I must be out of my mind," he quietly asked himself before following them.  
  
***  
  
The four rode into the forest. Legolas was becoming even more nervous, almost scared, by each passing minute and he was surprised that he managed to not let the others see his fear. Either that or they didn't see it yet.  
  
"By the Valar! What a place! Legolas, do you think Nanaylia would've liked this place?" wondered Elladan as he glanced over at him.  
  
Legolas stopped the horse and faced the ground. The three stopped as well and stared at him.  
  
"What's wrong?" asked Aragorn, not understanding the situation.  
  
"What a question to ask Elladan! How inappropriate!" Elrohir scolded his brother, sounding upset.  
  
"Who's this 'Nanaylia'?" wondered Aragorn for he didn't know.  
  
They all saw the immense sadness in the elf's eyes.  
  
"She...she wouldn't have liked it Elladan. I'm sure she wouldn't have," Legloas quietly replied before leading the horse past them.  
  
He left one very confused man and two very guilty elves. Aragorn looked at the two.  
  
"Who's this Nanaylia? Anyone I might have met? Is she a former lover of Legolas'? Who is she?" wondered Aragorn, asking a whole bunch of questions.  
  
"We probably brought back memories of her. You see Aragorn, Nanaylia was Legolas' younger sister," Elrohir replied.  
  
"I don't like the word 'was'," Aragorn told them, giving a cautious look.  
  
"Of course you wouldn't. Noone does. She died many, many years before you were born. We wouldn't have found about it ourselves if Father and us hadn't decided to visit soon after that terrible incident," Elladan sighed as they started off after Legolas.  
  
"What incident that you speak of?" wondered Aragorn. "What happened to her?"  
  
"You ask a lot of questions! I don't think it would be appropriate if we told you what happened to them. It is not our business to tell the story. All you need to know is that Legolas and Nanaylia were very close," was all Elrohir told him before they continued on.  
  
***  
  
Some time later, they travelled into the woods. Legolas was becoming more nervous by ever passing step that they got towards the evil forest: he vividly remembered what happened the last time he was here. He was hoping he wouldn't have to come this way again but he found it couldn't be helped. He really didn't want to go into detail with his company if he refused to bring them here. They didn't know of the forest's danger. His eyes were darting from side to side. His three companions noticed this action and were becoming a bit nervous themselves.  
  
"Legolas, is everything alright?" asked a worried Elrohir. "I've never seen you this jumpy before."  
  
"We shouldn't have come here," whispered the blonde elf.  
  
"Then let's leave before something happens. Our curiousity has been met," replied Aragorn, turning his horse around.  
  
The elves began to follow him and head back but they also never noticed the four sets of eyes watching them.  
  
"Shall we?" one asked the others.  
  
The three nodded in response as they prepared to leave but they elves heard the rustling of leaves and the moving of tree branches. Their horses began to back up a bit.  
  
"Legolas, what's that?" asked Elrohir.  
  
"It's them," was all Legolas said before the figures in question jumped down from the trees.  
  
Their horses began to run away from the figures chasing after them. Aragorn and Legolas had gone in one direction while Elrohir and Elladan went in another. The creatures also separated, two going after each group.  
  
***  
  
Elrohir glanced back as they went forward.  
  
"What are those things? They are unlike anything I have ever seen," he said to his brother.  
  
"I agree with you. We might have to ask Father when we get back," Elladan agreed. "I believe that we should split up."  
  
"Good idea," Elrohir said.  
  
The two headed down separate paths and one figure each followed them.  
  
***  
  
Legolas and Aragorn hurried down the path. The elf was upset by this turn of events and Aragorn saw this.  
  
"We really shouldn't have come here," Legolas quietly said.  
  
"What are those things?" wondered Aragorn.  
  
"I'll explain later. All I can tell you now is that they're creatures of the night," Legolas replied. "Now we should split up."  
  
Aragorn nodded before they headed down separate paths. Legolas glanced back to see who was following him and recognized who it was. He soon stopped and the figure slowed and landed before him.  
  
"Shentree," was all Legolas said.  
  
The gargoyle cocked her head as she looked at the elf standing in front of her.  
  
"Do I...do I know you?" she asked him.  
  
"You just might," came the reply as he gave a small smile.  
  
He readied his bow and aimed it at the gargoyle in front of him. She was searching her memory, trying to figure out who was the elf standing in front of her.  
  
"I do know you, just what is your name?" she quietly asked herself.  
  
Then it hit her and she smiled.  
  
"I know you! You're one of the two little brats that came into our forest many years ago," Shentree told him.  
  
***  
  
Aragorn led his horse down the path. He was now regetting leaving Legolas' side. He was now worried that the things that were after them would harm his elven friend. He glanced back to see that whatever was following him was slowly gaining on him. His gaze returned to ahead of him.  
  
That all changed when he saw that the road ended ahead of him. He stopped the horse and turned around to face the gargoyle. It landed on the ground in front of him.  
  
"What are you?" demanded Aragorn.  
  
"You ask what I am? I am a gargoyle since you should know before you die," the figure replied as she slowly advanced on him.  
  
Aragorn soon realized that he hadn't heard of these creatures but he believed they were a dangerous race. He was caught off guard when the gargoyle rushed towards him and pinned him to the ground.  
  
TBC... 


	6. Gargoyles and Confusion

Elladan glanced over his shoulder periodically to see the creature was still after him. His stare soon went back to the road in front of him and he stopped, turning around to face the creature, causing it to stop as well.  
  
"What is your purpose with me?" asked the elf.  
  
It said nothing. All that came out of its mouth was laughter. Elladan was quite confused by this action but he took out his bow and aimed it right at him. The gargoyle stopped laughing and appeared shocked by the sudden appearance of the bow and arrow. It turned and ran away, making the elf even more confused than what he already was before.  
  
"Alright, what was that all about? I've never seen anything do something like that before," he quietly asked himself before leaving to find his brother and friends. "This is slightly confusing."  
  
***  
  
Elrohir was having a slightly different story. The gargoyle that was after him was yelling at him.  
  
"You are going to be tasty tonight when I get a hold of you. It's been a long while since we've had a chance at fresh elf meat and an even longer while at eating it. You will taste very delicious! I know you will!" the gargoyle yelled at him.  
  
The elf raised his eyebrows. He was very startled yet confused.  
  
'What does he mean by that?' he asked himself. 'A long while at fresh meat and even longer at eating it?'  
  
He stopped the horse and faced the gargoyle after him, who soon stopped after he did. Banside began to slowly walk towards the elf, who decided to raise a bow and aim it at him.  
  
"I'm not afraid of those things anymore. Sure Sathed might still be but I'm not. I've gotten over the fear of bows and arrows since the last time that elf was here," he quietly said.  
  
Elrohir was even more surprised at this but their confrontation ended once they heard a noise in the forest nearby. They looked to see Elladan coming out of the woods and Sathed crept up behind the gargoyle, who growled at him.  
  
"Oh man, we're in trouble now," muttered Banside before leading the scared gargoyle away from the elves.  
  
***  
  
Legolas and Shentree stared at each other. They began to walk around in a circle.  
  
"You will die this time. Of course, our first meeting should have been our last since nothing has ever gotten out of our forest alive," Shentree coldly told him.  
  
"I have gotten out before and I will again. So will my friends. I will make sure of it," Legolas told her.  
  
"Confident, aren't we, elf? You shouldn't be since you aren't out of the woods yet," Shentree replied with a laugh as she pulled out a sword.  
  
The elf aimed his bow at her and both were prepared to do battle when a screeching noise could be heard nearby. They looked nearby to see Banside and Sathed flying right for them, Elladan and Elrohir right behind them.  
  
"Oh great," Shentree said as she rolled her eyes slightly.  
  
***  
  
Aragorn stared at the figure on top of him as he was trying to free himself from her grasp.  
  
'She's stronger than she looks, that's for sure,' Aragorn thought to himself as he managed to somehow to push her off of him.  
  
He scrambled to his feet and faced the figure, who stood up herself. She growled at she lunged for him again and somehow, he managed to dodge out of the way and she landed on the ground. Aragorn hurried back to his horse and rode away after climbing onto its back. The gargoyle started to follow him.  
  
"I will get you sooner or later," the gargoyle yelled at him.  
  
Aragorn kept glancing back to see that she was indeed following him still. He sighed for he didn't want her to catch up with him anytime soon. He knew that she would probably kill him if given the chance.  
  
***  
  
"What happened to you two?" Shentree demanded.  
  
"Well, Sathed got scared because of the bows and once the two over there got back together, I really didn't feel like taking the two of them on alone so now we're here," Banside replied.  
  
"Now that we're here, we can take you on," Legolas told them.  
  
"Oh no, we're not taking you on Legolas. You will die sooner or later. Whatever happened to that fair, young female elf that was with you the last time you were here?" replied Shentree, a laugh laced into her voice. "I really wanted her to witness this."  
  
Legolas stiffened, almost disbelieving with what he was hearing. His breathing was almost to the point of going too fast.  
  
'No, no that!' he screamed in his mind. 'Anything but that! Why'd they have to bring that up now?'  
  
He began to breathe heavily as he dropped his bow. It fell onto the ground as the two elves standing next to him were confused as they stared at him.  
  
"What are they talking about Legolas?" wondered Elladan, sounding a bit cautious.  
  
Legolas couldn't answer as he fell to his knees. Elladan knelt beside him, wondering what was wrong. He placed a hand on Legolas' shoulder.  
  
"No, not that. Anything but that," he whispered to himself, placing his hands over his ears.  
  
"What? Did we hit a sensitive subject? Poor you," Banside said with mocking sadness.  
  
All three of the gargoyles began to snicker as they advanced on the three elves. Elladan and Elrohir both backed away but Legolas made no attempt to move.  
  
Suddenly, they heard a galloping of hooves. All six looked to see Aragorn and the unknown gargoyle were making their way towards them. Legolas stared at the gargoyle.  
  
'Who is that one?' he wondered. 'Last time I knew, there were only three of them, not four. What is going on here? And this one is a different colour at that.'  
  
Aragorn joined the elves as the anonymous gargoyle joined her companions.  
  
"Good, you're here. We were wondering how things were going," Shentree told her.  
  
"Things went alright. Could've gone better though," came the reply.  
  
"More than you know. It's three against four. Sathed's still scared of the bows. We have to leave the fresh elf meat behind again," Banside told her.  
  
"Darn," she said.  
  
Shentree, Banside and Sathed began to leave but the fourth gargoyle stayed behind and faced them. She lifted a bow up and aimed it at the group of four. Aragorn, Elladan and Elrohir braced themselves for it to come at any time. Legolas still couldn't move from what Shentree told him.  
  
"I'm not leaving here without shooting at least one arrow at the four of you. Take a lesson from me. I'm an expert at this," the female gargoyle told the three. "And the four of you should know who I am. My name is Narcissis."  
  
She let go of the arrow. The group was slightly alarmed by this action, even after the fact they were prepared for it. Aragorn, Elladan and Elrohir managed to get out of the way but Legolas didn't have a chance. He tried to scramble out of the way but couldn't get out of the way in time. The arrow went through his shoulder and he cried out in pain as he fell to the ground. Narcissis began to walk up to him but Aragorn stopped her by stepping in between her and Legolas.  
  
"Another time then," she told them before leaving with her companions.  
  
Elladan and Elrohir hurried up to Legolas.  
  
"Legolas, we have to get you back to our father," Elladan told him as Elrohir nodded.  
  
"Though I have one question Legolas. What were they talking about when they spoke of this 'fresh meat'? And it's as if they knew you, as you have met before," Elrohir wondered.  
  
Legolas hesitated as Aragorn helped him to his feet.  
  
"Legolas, don't answer that just yet. That's the least of our worries right now. You need help right at the moment," Aragorn interrupted as he helped the injured elf towards the horses.  
  
The twins glanced at each other before following them, knowing the questions were also on Aragorn's mind as well as theirs.  
  
TBC... 


	7. Strange News

Thranduil and Elrond were quietly talking in the study about relations when Elrond decided to smile.  
  
"What?" wondered Thranduil.  
  
"I'm thinking about one incident that happened many years ago when Nanaylia was still alive. Remember the time when our children were in a war of the pranks?" replied Elrond.  
  
Thranduil also smiled at the thought of their children when they were younger.  
  
"It was humourus indeed. I believe that your sons were looking for a chance to get back at mine fotrthe longest time after that," Thranduil chuckled. "But they can't get back at both of them since she's dead."  
  
Elrond sighed as he gave a sad look at the elf standing next to him. Elrond began to feel slightly guilty for bringing up Nanaylia: her death had been a rough transition for everyone, especially for Thranduil and Legolas.  
  
"What's wrong?" wondered Thranduil.  
  
"I suppose they would also want to get back at Nanaylia if she were still alive. She had a lively spirit to her and there was just something about her that could light up a room. She and Arwen were such good friends," Elrond replied. "Even though it brought back memories of her, she still came with me. I know Elladan and Elrohir would have wanted to visit Legolas, as Aragorn wanted to as well. Arwen misses talking to Nanaylia and hearing what she has to say. I do as well now that I think about it. She had so much to talk about during her time."  
  
The two elves walked by the palace walls but they soon heard yells and the galloping of hooves approaching the palace. They hurried to see the group of four returning from somewhere and Elrond saw that Legolas had an arrow embedded in his shoulder.  
  
"Oh my," Elrond whispered as the two hurried towards them.  
  
"Bring him this way," Thranduil told them, leading them into the palace.  
  
He led them to Legolas' room, where he was laid on the bed. Elrond ushered the four of them out so he could tend to the injury. He hurried up to the bed and looked at the wound. He almost couldn't believe what he was seeing as he began the process of taking out the arrow and take care of the wound.  
  
***  
  
Thranduil had to face the twins and Aragorn as they stood outside the door. Thranduil appeared to be upset.  
  
"How did this happen?" he demanded of them.  
  
The three of them guiltily looked at each other before facing the king again. It was Aragorn who decided to step forward and be the brave one.  
  
"We asked Legolas to take us to one part of Mirkwood. Once we got there, we encountered several strange creatures," explained Aragorn.  
  
Thranduil had to put on a scared look, shaking his head. He began to back away from them, making the three slightly confused.  
  
"No, not there. Tell me you didn't go there! But you must have gone there! You must have! Why did you have to go there? Didn't Legolas tell you it was dangerous?" Thranduil demanded.  
  
"What?" Elladan asked with surprise in his voice and stepping forward. "Dangerous?"  
  
"Didn't Legolas tell you of the 'Dark Forest'? It is located in the western part of the kingdom and it is home to many dangerous creatures. Particularly the gargoyles. They were once a thriving race but now, its population has dwindled greatly because of their greed and the ferocity they grew to have over time. Also, their food supply has dwindled over the years," Thranduil explained. "Legolas had been there before with Nanaylia many years ago. They were there soon before the two of you arrived with your father and found out Nanaylia had died. They were there just a mere few days before that incident occured."  
  
Aragorn, Elladan and Elrohir all looked at each other, surprised to hear this news. But Elladan was curious about something else at the moment.  
  
"My Lord, I have to ask you something. When we were faced with the gargoyles, one of them mentioned Nanaylia and Legolas paled. He seemed almost as if something terrible had been done. It was then that the one of them shot him with the arrow. What would have caused Legolas' reaction to the mere mention Nanaylia?" he asked.  
  
"I am unsure about that. You know the two of them were close and her death simply devestated him. What happened after the gargoyle injured my son?" came the reply.  
  
"She went with the other three," Elrohir told him.  
  
Thranduil's eyes shot up in intense curiousity. The three looked at each other again, wondering what was wrong this time.  
  
"Last time I knew, there were only three, not four. The one must have had a child since the last time we met," he mused.  
  
"No, the one who shot the arrow was different from the other three. Her hair was lighter than the rest of them. Almost blonde while the others had black hair," Elrohir told him. "The same thing with her skin."  
  
"Blonde hair?" Thranduil questioningly asked them.  
  
The three then appeared nervous with this reaction of Thranduil's. It seemed to them that he knew about these gargoyles.  
  
"What's wrong?" wondered Elladan.  
  
"Gargoyles do not normally have blonde hair. They have black. Where could have this one come from?" wondered Thranduil as he placed a hand on his chin. "They also have darker skin. I am puzzled."  
  
"You know a lot about these creatures. Maybe we can use that knowledge," suggested Elrohir.  
  
Elladan and Aragorn both nodded in agreement.  
  
"We will just have to wait and see," Thranduil replied as he turned away from them..  
  
***  
  
Elrond was taking care of Legolas' wound after the arrow had been taken out of his shoulder when the younger elf suddenly tried to bolt up in the bed but Elrond kept him laying on the bed. To Elrond, Legolas seemed a bit pale. The older elf knew it was from the wound that was inflicted not too long before that. Elrond found that the arrow was stubborn and he took his time getting it out of Legolas' shoulder, with some help from a few other elven healers.  
  
"Legolas," he said as the younger elf looked up at him.  
  
"Elrond, I have to go..." he started as he began to raise himself up.  
  
"You're not going anywhere. The wound you have received is very serious and you need rest for it to heal properly," Elrond told him.  
  
"I do not care," he replied, slightly gasping for air. "I have to go now!"  
  
"But I do care and so does your father and friends," Elrond told him, a sternness in his voice.  
  
Then he saw something he had not seen Legolas do since the death of his sister. The Mirkwood prince was crying.  
  
"Legolas, what's wrong?" Elrond asked him.  
  
"Nanaylia. I want Nanaylia," Legolas replied through the tears.  
  
Elrond sighed as he placed a hand on Legolas' arm and the prince put his good arm around Elrond.  
  
"There, there Legolas. I can't go get Nanaylia. She is not here. She's dead and nothing can bring her back, no matter how much I, or anyone else, want to," Elrond told him, placing his arms around the crying elf.  
  
"No!" he cried, placing his hands over his ears. "She can't be dead! She can't be."  
  
Elrond regretted saying that as soon as he said it. He didn't know what else to say to comfort the younger elf as Legolas laid down onto the bed and curled up into a ball.  
  
"Nanaylia, I miss you so much," he whispered.  
  
Elrond sighed before heading out of the room so as to give Legolas some privacy and so he could give the younger elf some rest for the night.  
  
***  
  
The next morning after breakfast, Elladan walked up to Legolas' room. He wanted to see how the elf was doing so he knocked on the door. He waited a few moments and he didn't hear anything coming from inside.  
  
"Legolas?" he called inside. "Is everything alright? May I come in? I want to talk."  
  
He didn't hear anything and he became worried. He had asked his father if it was alright for him to talk to Legolas and it was fine. He tried the doorknob and slightly opened the door.  
  
"Legolas?" he called, opening the door even more. "Is everything alright?"  
  
What he saw surprised him and he gasped. Or rather, it was what he didn't see.  
  
Legolas was nowhere in the room.  
  
"Legolas!" he cried before running out of the room.  
  
TBC... 


	8. Disappearing Act

Author's Note-I've had a couple of you ask if there's a connection between the gargoyle and Legolas' sister. Well, the answers are going to have to wait for now but Narcissis' origins will be explained later on in the story so don't fret. (And I know gargoyles don't exist in Tolkein's Middle Earth but having them in works well with the storyline.)  
  
******  
  
The elf ran to find his father, who he found sitting with Thranduil in the library. The two older elves looked at him with a bit of worry in their faces.  
  
"Elladan, what's wrong?" demanded Elrond as he stood up.  
  
"It's Legolas! He's disappeared!" Elladan replied, almost shouting it out.  
  
"What? How could he have gotten out? There are guards at his door!" Elrond wanted to know.  
  
The three of them hurried to Legolas' room to find it was truly empty. Thranduil looked around the room and soon came to the window.  
  
"He left by his window! We have to find him before he hurts himself even more," Thranduil said with a sigh before heading for the door.  
  
Elrond and Elladan glanced at each other before following him.  
  
***  
  
The group of three soon met up with Aragorn and Elrohir in the hallway. They heard a commotion come from out in the hallway and they ventured out to investigate.  
  
"What's going on?" Elrohir wanted to know.  
  
"Legolas is missing. He went out his window," Elladan replied as his brother started walking beside him.  
  
"Missing? Where could he have gone to? Why would he have gone?" wondered Aragorn.  
  
Elladan shrugged as Thranduil and Elrond led them to the guards. Thranduil ordered them to go search for his son.  
  
"What can we do?" asked Aragorn.  
  
"Nothing at the moment. We will need you here in the event Legolas comes back," replied Elrond.  
  
The three nodded, knowing it was for the best.  
  
***  
  
A few hours later, the guards came back, with no sign of the missing prince. Thranduil was more worried than ever for Legolas' safety. He began to pace back and forth, a hand over his mouth as he looked out at the sun in the sky. He sighed for he knew it wouldn't be dark soon but he wouldn't want to leave Legolas out all night.  
  
"Where could my son be? It will be dark in a matter of hours," he asked himself as Elrond, the twins, Aragorn and Arwen looked on.  
  
"They've searched everywhere. He is nowhere to be found. They didn't even find any tracks to where he might have gone to. He couldn't have possibly gone far in his condition," Elrond mused. "Does he have any hiding places?"  
  
"I am aware of all his hiding places and they have all been checked," Thranduil replied.  
  
"So there's none that he's only aware of?" Arwen sighed. "Nothing that noone knows of maybe?"  
  
Thranduil perked up and faced the female elf. He smiled as if realizing something.  
  
"He's gone there! Why didn't I think of it sooner?" he said as he headed for the door. "Thank you Arwen."  
  
"Gone where?" Elladan said as he, Elrohir and Aragorn followed him.  
  
"No questions until we get there. Just follow me," the king replied.  
  
***  
  
Thranduil led the three into the forest and they looked around at the trees in awe.  
  
"Why didn't we know about this place sooner?" Aragorn quietly wondered.  
  
"That's because I did not want everyone to know about it. I brought Legolas and Nanaylia here only once and that was the time she was killed," Thranduil explained.  
  
The four soon came across a clearing and sure enough, sitting on the ground was Legolas. His hands were up to his head, covering his ears. He appeared to be trembling. They couldn't tell from where they were if it was from fear, the cold or his injury.  
  
The twins got off their horse and hurried over to him, Aragorn soon following. As they became closer, the three of them were hearing his mumblings more clearly but barely.  
  
"Nanaylia, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. Please come back. I don't want to be alone anymore," they heard the elf say in a barely audible voice. "I want to have you back. I miss you so much."  
  
"Legolas," Elladan said in a soothing voice.  
  
The blonde elf turned his stare towards the three of them. He soon broke down into tears.  
  
"Legolas," Elrohir told him as he walked up to the crying elf. "Tell us what's wrong."  
  
"No, I can't talk about it. I won't talk about it. Go away! Leave me alone!" Legolas demanded of them.  
  
"We will listen to you," Aragorn told him.  
  
"But you won't understand what I'm going through. What I've gone through for the past few years," Legolas replied. "Now leave me alone!"  
  
"We heard you say something about Nanaylia. If it concerns her, it concerns us as well! You know that! She was part of our own family as well!" Elrohir told him as he slowly placed a hand on the shoulder of the still grieving elf.  
  
"You will never understand!" cried Legolas, his hands still covering his ears, jerking his shoulder away.  
  
It was almost as if he was trying to block out some unheard noise. At least that's what it appeared to the group of four.  
  
"No! Go away! I want to be alone!" cried Legolas as his father walked into view.  
  
"Legolas, I miss her as much as you do. Do not think you are the only one," Thranduil said with a slightly stern face.  
  
Legolas looked straight ahead, tears still brimming. in his eyes. He glanced over his shoulder at his father.  
  
"Father," he managed to choke out.  
  
"Please tell us what and we will try to understand what you are going through," Thranduil sternly told his son.  
  
Legolas gulped at the tone of his father's voice.  
  
***  
  
Manlin walked into a building to see the four gargoyles leaning against the walls.  
  
"We've gotten the female elf a long time ago. Now all we have to do is get the brat that's still alive. Right now, he's missing but I believe we know where he is right now. Anyone care to go after him?" Manlin told them.  
  
The four gargoyles looked at each other with smiles on their faces.  
  
"I'll go after them," Narcissis soon spoke up, stepping forward. "It will be a pleasure to do something like this."  
  
Manlin also gave a smile as she headed out the door.  
  
"Oh yes, Narcissis, one more thing before you leave," the elf called out to her.  
  
"Yes?" she said as she stopped in the door.  
  
"Bring him here alive," Manlin told her.  
  
"Of course," she replied before leaving.  
  
"Now we've got him," Manlin said to the other three as he watched her disappear.  
  
"Yeah, we do," agreed Shentree.  
  
***  
  
"I won't talk about it, not even to you Father," Legolas said.  
  
The group of four sighed and glanced at each other, knowing that they probably won't get anything out the saddened elf.  
  
"Well, well, well, what have we got here?" came a female voice.  
  
The group looked up to see a gargoyle towering above them. Thranduil was amazed to see her as he looked over the colouring of her skin and hair.  
  
"Where did you come from?" he asked. "How did you find us here?"  
  
"I'm not telling you. Right now, these moments will be your last," she replied as she pulled out a bow and arrow.  
  
Legolas clumsily climbed to his feet. He found that his shoulder was beginning to hurt again and he had some trouble walking. He made his way over to the others.  
  
"What do you want?" Elladan asked.  
  
"It's more like who I want than what," she replied as she flew down to them.  
  
They found that they could surround her easily and she didn't seem to notice it. She yawned, placing a hand over her mouth as she put away the bow and arrow.  
  
"So pitiful," she said before going to her hands and feet.  
  
She ran towards Legolas and pinned him to the ground, causing him to cry out in pain. His shoulder protested against the rough movement.  
  
Arrows were now aimed at the gargoyle, who got up from the ground with Legolas in her arms. She placed one arm around his neck. He tried to protest but he found he couldn't.  
  
"One move and he's going to get it," she called to them as she held a dagger to his throat.  
  
"Wait! Don't shoot!" Thranduil said to the others, holding out a hand. "What do you want?"  
  
"I want your son, that is all. We will meet again another time King Thranduil," she told him.  
  
She began to rise into the air and she disappeared.  
  
"We have got to find him but where do we even begin looking for him?" Aragorn said.  
  
"We begin looking in the one place that gargoyles are found: the 'Dark Forest'," replied Thranduil as he began to head back to the palace.  
  
TBC... 


	9. Rescue Mission

Thranduil stormed into the palace, angry at what he just witnessed: his only son had been abducted by an unknown garogoyle. He stared out at the dark sky.  
  
"What do we know about this new one?" he demanded as they walked into the library to meet up with Elrond and Arwen.  
  
"She has blonde hair and lighter skin yet we have no idea where she came from but she obviously joined the gargoyles since your last encounter with them," Elladan replied.  
  
"Something about these creatures made Legolas really upset about Nanaylia's death. How did he react after that happened but before we came?" Elrohir wanted to know.  
  
"He sat in the tree that's outside his room. He and Nanaylia used to go up in that tree all the time when she was alive. I remember Chimone and I watching him one day some time after we told him that Nanaylia's body couldn't be found and that she was probably dead. He was terribly distraught about that news and the fact she was gone forever," Thranduil told him.  
  
"We should go find Chimone. Maybe she could have some ideas to what might be going on," Arwen suggested.  
  
"Good idea. Elrond, could you please come with me?" Thranduil said as he nodded before heading towards Chimone's room.  
  
***  
  
Chimone was humming to herself when a knock came to the door. She opened it up to find Elrond and Thranduil standing outside it.  
  
"My Lords, what do you require of me?" she asked, slightly bowing her head.  
  
"Chimone, Legolas has been taken by the gargoyles. Arwen has suggested that maybe you might know of something relevant to this," Elrond told her.  
  
"I know nothing. I wish I did though," she replied.  
  
Both male elves gave a sigh before Chimone decided to speak again.  
  
"I know this is not relevant to what has happened to Legolas but I believe you should know about something," she said.  
  
"What?" the king wanted to know.  
  
"It is Manlin. He is a strange sort of elf. I feel that he taken into the practising of the dark arts," she told him.  
  
"The dark arts. There was always something strange about him. I never could place it and dark magic now makes sense. But we can't prove it at the moment," Thranduil agreed. "He is one to look upon more carefully but we can't do that at the moment. We have more important things to deal with before I deal with suspicions that we have."  
  
"I suggest we wait until morning in doing anything about Legolas. I believe it will be better in the search to do it by daylight. A portion of the night has passed us already," Elrond suggested.  
  
"I want to start as soon as possible," Thranduil replied as he looked at Elond. "We begin the search at dawn."  
  
Elrond gave a small nod as the three of them walked out of the room.  
  
***  
  
Legolas was limply hanging in the gargoyle's arms as she walked into the building to be greeted by the others.  
  
"You got him! Way to go Narcissis!" cheered Banside.  
  
Sathed began to clap his hands, a smile on his face. Shentree also smiled.  
  
"Good, now we can get rid of the second brat," she said.  
  
"Not yet, we won't. I have a plan that needs to have Legolas alive," came a voice.  
  
"Of course," Shentree replied.  
  
Legolas vaguely recognized the voice but he couldn't place the name. Also, his mind was foggy and wasn't thinking straight. He closed his eyes and drifted off into unconsciousness.  
  
"Why exactly do we need him again?" Banside wondered once he saw that Legolas could no longer hear them.  
  
Manlin stepped out of the shadows and looked at the four.  
  
"We need him because he will lead his father out into the open, into here, to us. Then, we will take him out of the picture as well as his son," Manlin told them. "Then we will take out rightful place in the palace. I will return to the palace and we will wait until morning before doing anything."  
  
Sathed began to laugh out loud as the other three began to laugh quietly to themselves.  
  
"Now that we have him, his father will be coming after him almost immediately. Who wants to greet our guest when he does?" Manlin asked the gargoyles.  
  
The four looked at each other.  
  
"I'll go," Shentree said as she stepped forwards. "We really need some excitement around here."  
  
"I will as well," Banside put in. "And Shentree's right. The excitement really hasn't been around here lately."  
  
Sathed laughed as he joined his two friends. The group looked at Narcissis who shook her head.  
  
"I'll stay here with the prisoner," she replied. "Someone needs to keep an eye on him, especially if he awakens."  
  
"Good idea. Someone should be here with him," Manlin told her. "And I should not. He'll recognize me."  
  
The three gargoyles left the room as did the elf.  
  
***  
  
Aragorn watched as the elves hurried to prepare themselves for the rescue. He had never seen a household in such an uproar. The twins hurried up to him.  
  
"Come on, let's go. We have to help them!" Elladan said.  
  
"Who's going?" wondered Aragorn.  
  
"Elrohir and I are. You probably want to as well. Thranduil is leading the group and a few of his guards are coming as well," Elladan replied.  
  
The three of them followed Thranduil. Their stare turned towards the 'Dark Forest' and Aragorn had to gulp as they looked ever longer in its direction.  
  
"I can see why Legolas didn't want to go back there. It's a scary place," Aragorn said.  
  
"I can see as well," agreed Elrohir.  
  
***  
  
Later in the evening, Legolas awoke to humming. He tried to sit up but found he couldn't because of the immense pain in his shoulder. He found he was slightly sweating and weak. He looked in the direction the humming was coming from to see the strange gargoyle sitting in a chair, staring in the opposite direction. A few candles were lit nearby and he saw it was dark outside.  
  
"What the...?" he started, slurring his words a bit.  
  
She turned her head slightly to see he was awake. She stood up and walked over to him, kneeling beside him.  
  
"Well I'll be, you're finally awake," she told him with a smirk on her face.  
  
"Why have you brought me here?" demanded Legolas.  
  
"I can't tell you dear prince. It's not my place to tell you but what I want to talk to you about is the elf you were talking about when those others arrived," she replied.  
  
"I won't talk to you about her," Legolas snarled at her. "I never will. Especially not with someone like you."  
  
"Such a pity. So sad too since I was there the day when the wolves attacked you, her and your father," she said to him before standing back up.  
  
Legolas gasped and she heard this.  
  
"You were there? What did you do to her?" he demanded before wriggling in his binds.  
  
"I thought you didn't want to talk about it," she said as she gave a yawn. "So we won't."  
  
"Tell me," Legolas told her in an angry voice.  
  
"Well... alright. Yes, I was there. I saw what you did," she replied as she paced back and forth in front of Legolas. "I've been keeping an eye on you ever since then."  
  
Legolas couldn't believe what he was hearing.  
  
"You know about that?" he asked.  
  
"Dear prince, everyone knows about that," Narcissis said with a laugh.  
  
Legolas' eyes were now brimming with tears. He closed his eyes and wondered what his father thought about what he did.  
  
***  
  
Thranduil looked around the forest as the others followed him. He had traveled as soon as the sun peeked out over the horizon.  
  
"If Manlin is part of this, I wouldn't be surprised. He has always been a strange elf but I doubt he can be a part of this," he muttered to himself.  
  
The search was soon cut short when the three gargoyles jumped down from the trees. They circled the group and they were prepared to attack if the need came.  
  
"Where is my son?" demanded Thranduil.  
  
"He's safe...for the moment. If you want him to live, you'll listen to what we have to say," Shentree replied.  
  
Sathed began to laugh again and Banside gave him an angry look, making the gargoyle stop.  
  
Thranduil sighed as he looked at the three.  
  
"What is is that you want?" he said as he looked at the ground.  
  
"We want you. Tell the others to leave and you will stay with us," Banside replied.  
  
Thranduil couldn't believe what he was hearing but he soon nodded, agreeing withe their demands.  
  
"Go back to the palace," he ordered them.  
  
The others couldn't believe what they were hearing. They began to protest but Thranduil raised a hand to stop them.  
  
"Just go," he told them.  
  
The twins and Aragorn glanced back at him as they left, leaving Thranduil at the mercy of the gargoyles.  
  
TBC... 


	10. Patience and Pain

Thranduil was soon blindfolded and led further into the forest. He hated giving in to these creatures but if it was the only was to save his son, he felt he had to do it. He had already lost his daughter to wolves, he wasn't planning to lose his son as well and especially not to gargoyles.  
  
After a time, he felt the temperature change. It became warmer and he was soon forced to stop.  
  
"So he agreed to it?" came a female voice.  
  
"He agreed. Now all we have to do is wait and see what we can to do with him," replied Shentree.  
  
The blindfold was taken off of Thranduil's eyes and he looked to see the strange gargoyle standing before him and Legolas was on the floor behind her. He hurried up to his son's side. Legolas' eyes were slightly red and swollen from crying. He was also shaking slightly and curled up into a ball.  
  
"What have you done to him?" he demanded of the female gargoyle.  
  
"I did nothing to him," Narcissis replied.  
  
It was now that Thranduil had a better look at the different gargoyle. Her hair was indeed almost blonde, just like the twins and Aragorn had said, much lighter than that of the others. Her skin was also lighter than the other gargoyles.  
  
"Where did you come from?" he asked.  
  
Narcissis cocked her head to look at the king. She gave a small smile and laugh.  
  
"Where did I come from you ask? It doesn't matter where I come from. The only thing that matters is where you're going," she replied.  
  
The older elf gulped as he cradled his son in his arms.  
  
***  
  
"What do you think you're going Aragorn? Thranduil told us to go back to the palace," Elladan complained.  
  
"I know that but are you willing to leave him and Legolas in the clutches of those things?" Aragorn replied.  
  
"Well, I certainly don't want to," Elrohir said as they walked further away from the others.  
  
"That's the point. If we don't help them, there will be no successor for the throne of Mirkwood if both Legolas and Nanaylia are dead and their father is as well," Aragorn told them.  
  
The twins looked at each other and shrugged, knowing that Aragorn was right.  
  
"Alright, where do we even begin to look? Those things can fly so we can't easily follow them," Elrohir protested as they went further into the forest.  
  
"That is true and they might have come from different direction than what they came in but it's worth a try checking it out," Aragorn told them.  
  
The twins sighed as they followed him. Both silently agreed that this man was very stubborn.  
  
***  
  
Manlin was walking in the woods, towards the place the gargoyles were so he could give them their orders before returning to the palace. He soon heard noises in the trees nearby. He crouched behind a bush as he watched the two elves and one man pass him, talking to themselves.  
  
'So, someone's still here?' he thought to himself. 'Looking for Thranduil and Legolas. They need to be taken care of immediately.'  
  
He waited a few more minutes before deciding not to head to the gargoyles' position. He stood up and looked in the direction the trio went.  
  
"They'll have to deal with these three on their own," he muttered to himself before heading back to the palace. "I hope they don't mess things up. If they do, something has to be done."  
  
***  
  
After a part of the day had gone by, Legolas was semi-consicous and laying in his father's arms. It was in the middle of the afternoon and Thranduil was becoming more worried by each passing moment as Legolas seemed to be becoming weaker and weaker as each minute passed. As he held onto his son, he was listening in on the conversation the gargoyles had just began.  
  
"Where is he? We have to get our orders with what to do to these two," whined Shentree.  
  
"I'm not sure. This is something he wouldn't do unless something else came up. I say we keep them here until he gets a chance to come and tell us what to do," Narcissis said as Sathed nodded in agreement.  
  
"But what if he doesn't come?" wondered Banside.  
  
"No, he definately wouldn't do that. He wants to witness this and he's been waiting too long to let it slip between his fingers now," Narcissis replied, shaking her head.  
  
The four sighed. Shentree glanced over at them before sauntering over to them. Thranduil looked up at her.  
  
"What have you done to him?" he demanded. "I know you have done something."  
  
"I remember you asking us that before and I remember Narcissis replying that she did nothing. None of us did. We actually weren't intending to do anything...yet," she replied with a lopsided smile.  
  
"I don't believe that! He is failing with each passing moment! What is it that you have done to him?" Thranduil wanted to know.  
  
"We did nothing to him except for the shoulder wound of course. Well, nothing since we brought him here. Maybe you should ask him what has happened if you get a chance to," Banside told him as he walked up to the two elves. "He's the one who should be telling you, not us. Besides, would you believe us if we told you?"  
  
Thranduil quietly growled as he looked over the four. His stare came back to Narcissis. He studied her as she moved from her current position to a chair across the room. She sat down in it and continued with her wait.  
  
'Why does her moves seem somewhat familiar to me? It's as if I've met her before. But how is that possible?' he asked himself.  
  
***  
  
Aragorn led the twins into the woods. All three were nervous as they moved further in.  
  
"We should go back. Being this far in here is without a doubt dangerous," Elladan told him.  
  
"I know. Maybe we should head back," agreed Aragorn.  
  
They stopped and turned around to head back. It was then that Elrohir noticed something in the distance. He had to stop and look at it. He squinted his eyes and began to walk towards it. Aragorn and Elladan watched as he did this.  
  
"What is that? It looks like a building of some sort but all the way out here?" he wondered.  
  
"It must be the place where the gargoyles are staying! It has to be! Why would there be a building out here besides that?" replied Aragorn. "We have to go in and save Thranduil and Legolas. They need our help."  
  
The three headed towards the building. Aragorn looked into the window to see that Thranduil, Legolas and the gargoyles were indeed there. It appeared to the man that the four were waiting for something or someone. He looked over at the father and son to see that Legolas was still. He appeared to be worse than before from his shoulder injury.  
  
"What are we waiting for? Let's get this over with!" cried Banside as he finally stood up.  
  
"No, we wait. Even if it takes him a long time to get here, we wait for him. He will want to witness this," Shentree replied, jumping in between Banside and the two elves.  
  
"I'm tired of waiting for him," Banside growled at her. "Let's do something about these two."  
  
"Well, we have to wait some more," Shentree told him, also growling.  
  
They stared at each other for a few tense moments. Sathed looked between them, not wishing to get involved. Narcissis sighed, rolled her eyes and stepped in between them.  
  
"Knock it off. We have enough trouble already without getting into fights amongst ourselves," she told the two of them.  
  
***  
  
"I say we go in now. They have been here for hours and Legolas appears to be failing by each passing moment," Elladan whispered to the other two, who nodded in agreement.  
  
They readied their bows and prepared to head in the room. Elladan released his bow and it landed to one side of Narcissis' foot. Her face showed surprise when the two elves and one man hurried into the room.  
  
"I thought you three said they were heading towards the palace," she yelled at them.  
  
"We did see them go! they must have came back for these two," replied Shentree.  
  
"I told you to go back to the palace," Thranduil told them, sounding a bit angry.  
  
"Well, we're here anyway," Aragorn replied with a smile.  
  
Shentree and Banside prepared themselves with bows while Narcissis hurried over to Thranduil and Legolas and aimed her bow at them.  
  
"Get away from them," Elladan told the gargoyle.  
  
"No," she replied, not turning her stare away from the two in front of her.  
  
'What can we do to stop them and get Legolas back to the palace where he can get help?' Elrohir asked himself.  
  
It was then that he thought of something that might work. He looked out the window.  
  
"Hey, look! He is here!" the elf suddenly said, pointing outside.  
  
The four gargoyles followed his gaze and they became confused.  
  
"Where is he? I don't see him," demanded Shentree.  
  
Thranduil took this opportunity to grab Narcissis' bow, yanking it out of her arms and throwing it to the ground far away from her. Aragorn, Elladan and Elrohir took this time to do the same with the other two. Thranduil picked up Legolas as gently as he could before running out the door with the others.  
  
The four looked at the place where the two elves once sat and the spot where the two other elves and man recently stood.  
  
"He's not going to like this," Narcissis said with a sigh.  
  
"No, he's not. Not at all," agreed Banside. "Now we're in trouble. Big trouble."  
  
TBC... 


	11. Good News, Bad News

Thranduil began to lead the three out of the forest, the limp Legolas still in his arms.  
  
"I thought I told you to head back to the palace!" he told them, a hint of anger in his voice.  
  
"You did but we couldn't just leave you at the mercy of those things," Elladan replied.  
  
Thranduil sighed as he continued towards the outskirts of the forest.  
  
"Sometimes, I wonder if I am ever taken seriously with so many not wanting to listen to me," he muttered to himself.  
  
***  
  
Manlin walked down the hall, his mind off somewhere else. He soon came across Chimone, who carefully watched him as they passed each other.  
  
She stopped and turned to look at him after she passed him. He turned to face her and they stared at each other.  
  
"What is it that you need?" he asked her.  
  
"I was wondering if you had seen Lord Thranduil or Legolas lately," she replied.  
  
"I have not seen them for some time," he told her as he turned around and began to walk away from her.  
  
Chimone narrowed her eyes as she watched him head back down the hall.  
  
'He is one strange elf indeed,' she thought to himself. 'Lord Thranduil has to check in on him when he comes back.'  
  
She headed down the hall and soon came to the room Elrond was staying in during his stay. She knocked on the door and she heard a 'come in' before opening the door and walking inside, seeing Elrond pacing back and forth as Arwen sat in a chair.  
  
"What is it Chimone? Is there anything wrong?" he asked her.  
  
"Nothing is wrong, my Lord. I was wondering if you had heard anything about Legolas. I am deeply worried about him," she replied, bowing her head slightly.  
  
"Chimone, there is no need for that. We have known each other long enough and you've put up with my children more times than I can remember whenever they came here when they were younger," Elrond told her with a smile.  
  
"Of course," she told him.  
  
"As for Legolas, I have not heard anything about him. Arwen and I, as well, are quite worried about him," Elrond replied as Arwen stood up and walked over to the window. "The guards arrived some time ago, without Thranduil, Legolas, Aragorn or my sons."  
  
"I fear the worst," Arwen said.  
  
"So do I," agreed her father.  
  
Chimone nodded her head in agreement as Elrond glanced over at Arwen as she looked out over the elves in the courtyard. Soon, yelling came and the elf's stare went towards the gates. What she saw surpised her. She saw Thranduil run into the palace courtyard with Legolas in his arms, the others running in behind him.  
  
"Father! Thranduil and the others have arrived. It appears as if something's wrong with Legolas," she suddenly said.  
  
"Oh no!" cried Elrond as he hurried out of the room.  
  
***  
  
Manlin looked out of his room's window and he was not happy at all at what he was seeing. He growled and clenched his fists.  
  
"What a surprise to see them," he said to himself. "Both of them are alive. You four can't handle a man and two elves. Something drastic has to be done now. I realize that Sathed still has a fear of bows and arrows but I want something done and done now!"  
  
He walked across his room and picked up a book. He opened it up and began to skim through the pages.  
  
"I will find something for him to overcome his fears then I will find a spell that will finally destroy Thranduil, his son and allow us to take over this kingdom," he quietly said to himself.  
  
He soon finished his search and came across the spell he was looking for, giving a smile as he stared at it longer.  
  
"This will work, I know it. Beware Thranduil for I am coming," Manlin said before closing the book and heading out the door.  
  
***  
  
Elrond met up with Thranduil in the hallway. The king appeared to be very worried.  
  
"What is wrong with him?" asked Elrond.  
  
"I am unsure. The gargoyles have done something to him but they wouldn't tell me what exactly," replied Thranduil.  
  
"Bring him this way," Elrond told him, leading him to Legolas' room.  
  
Thranduil gently laid his son on the bed and Elrond looked over the young elf.  
  
"It has to be something they told him for I see nothing wrong with him physically besides his shoulder. I think his little escapade made it slightly worse," Elrond replied.  
  
"Then what can we do for him?" Thranduil wanted to know.  
  
"Nothing at the moment. Nothing except wait that is," Elrond replied as he wrapped Legolas's shoulder up again. "We have to let him tell us what happened when he awakens."  
  
Thranduil sighed and nodded, knowing that Elrond was right. He sat next to his son's bed. Elrond stood up and headed towards the door.  
  
"I will not be far away in the event that Legolas requires my assistance," he said  
  
The blonde elf nodded, not even looking in Elrond's direction.  
  
***  
  
Manlin walked through the halls, soon coming across Legolas' room as Elrond just closed the door. Chimone and Arwen were hurrying up to him and both appeared to be very worried. Manlin stayed out of sight around the corner.  
  
"How is he?" Chimone desperately asked.  
  
"I believe he will be fine but we just have to wait and see what happens," he told her, not realizing that Manlin was nearby.  
  
Both female elves sighed as they looked at each other.  
  
"Do not give up hope. We will determine the cause of this," Elrond reassured them.  
  
He led the two down the hall and back into the room he was staying in.  
  
***  
  
The twins and Aragorn paced back and forth outside Legolas' room, waiting for any news about their friend. Elrond told them earlier that Legolas was doing fine but things could go either way.  
  
Thranduil suddenly opened the door and the trio was standing right outside.  
  
"He is awake but he does not want to see or talk to anyone. Something's going on in his mind and I wish I knew what it was all about," Thranduil told them.  
  
The three sighed as the elf closed the door behind him.  
  
"Something is going on here and it has to do with Nanaylia. He paled at the mere mention of her when that one gargoyle talked about her," Elladan said, placing a hand on his chin.  
  
"Perhaps there is something more going on surrounding her death," suggested Elrohir.  
  
"Possibly. We never did find her body but we still believe that it was wolves who made off with it," Thranduil sighed.  
  
"Maybe we should go in and ask him," Aragorn said.  
  
"Not until the morning. He had a rough day," Thranduil replied with a wave of the hand.  
  
***  
  
Meanwhile, inside the room, Legolas awoke and slowly headed towards the windows. He opened them up and carefully climbed out into the tree: the same tree he and Nanaylia always sat in when she was alive. He stared out at the dark sky, the tears falling down his eyes. He could feel the pain throbbing in his shoulder but tried not to notice it.  
  
"It's my fault," he cried, the tears falling down her face.  
  
He knew he shouldn't have gone back to the 'Dark Forest'. He knew that it would bring back terrible memories of his sister's death.  
  
"It's my fault," he repeated.  
  
He looked up at the stars. He remembered talking about them once with Nanaylia when they were younger.  
  
**Nanylia and Legolas were lying on their backs in the grass, staring up at the night sky.  
  
"There's so many of them," she gasped.  
  
"Yes, there are. I wonder how many there are of them?" wondered Legolas.  
  
Nanaylia shrugged her shoulders as they continued to look up at them. Soon, she thought of something that she had to ask.  
  
"Lego, do you think it will always be like this?" Nanaylia suddenly asked him.  
  
"Always be like what?" questioned Legolas.  
  
"That we will always be together, with Father. That life will always be like the way it is now. Comfortable and we will never be torn apart," she replied.  
  
"That is hard to say Nanay but I sincerely hope so. You are the only elf I can confide in, the only one who understands me," Legolas told her with a smile.  
  
She also smiled as she climbed to a sitting position and crawled over to him. They looked at each other and Legolas saw a sneaky smile on her face. He gave her a smile but in the back of him mind, he knew she was up to something, as usual. She was always up to something  
  
"That's because noone messes with us," she said before pouncing on him.  
  
The two wrestled for a few moments before they stopped, with Legolas pinned on his back and Nanaylia on her knees, towering above him, her hands raised in triumph.  
  
"Nothing stops you, does it?" he asked her with a laugh in his voice.  
  
"There is only one thing that can Legolas. You," she replied before pulling him to a sitting position.  
  
They gave each other a hug.**  
  
The tears flowed down Legolas' face from the memory. He remembered how she was, the look on her face just before they went down that hill to her death, by his hands.  
  
He stared up at the stars through the tears, not even noticing a figure appear to one side of him.  
  
"I miss you so much Nanaylia," he quietly whispered to himself. "I wish you were here."  
  
The figure heard this, watching the elf with slightly curious eyes.  
  
TBC... 


	12. Attacking in Full Force

Shentree and Banside paced back and forth as Sathed watched them. He sighed as he did so, placing his head in his hand.  
  
"Why'd Narcissis go again?" wondered Banside.  
  
"She said she was going to get us information that we could use. I believe that she's intending to go after Legolas again, possibly getting something we need from him but I really doubt it," Shentree replied as she stopped.  
  
Banside stopped as well and the three stared at each other.  
  
"Right now, I just don't want to be around Manlin. He probably knows about Thranduil and Legolas escaping because of those three that had to come," Banside said with a sigh.  
  
"You're not the only one," agreed Shentree as Sathed nodded his head.  
  
As if on cue, Manlin walked in through the door. The three quivered in fear as he headed towards the chair and leaned on the back of it.  
  
"Shentree, Banside, Sathed, I am doing something now to take over this kingdom. Here's my plan. We take the palace by force, imprison the king and prince and take our rightful place," Manlin said.  
  
The three looked at each other before Shentree stepped forward.  
  
"And how exactly are we going to do that? Including you and Narcissis, we only have five against an entire army," she wondered.  
  
"I know that. That's why I thought of what to do already," Manlin replied with a sly smile.  
  
The three blinked as they wondered what that meant.  
  
***  
  
Legolas was still sitting in the tree, curled up into a ball. The tears left their mark down his face. Soon, he decided to carefully climb down the tree.  
  
The elf found his way towards a secret passage, which he believed was forgotten by his father. Legolas headed towards an area that was not far from his home. He looked around the place, not realizing he had a figure following him.  
  
'You are mine,' the figure thought to herself as she followed him away from the palace.  
  
***  
  
Elladan knocked on the door, hoping that he could talk to Legolas about what happened.  
  
"Legolas? May I come in? I want to talk about this," he called into the room. "I'm worried about you. In fact, we are all worried about you."  
  
When he received no answer of any kind, he became slightly worried.  
  
"Legolas?" he said before trying the door.  
  
He found it to be unlocked and he slowly opened it up...only to find noone was in the room. The elf gasped as he stared at the empty room.  
  
"Where has he gone to now?" he wondered as he hurried out to the stables. "I won't tell the others just yet. I don't want to worry them right at the moment. Especially if he is only nearby."  
  
He climbed onto his horse and headed out of the palace, looking for the once again missing prince.  
  
***  
  
Legolas sat down on the grass. It was the same place that he remembered just a short time ago. He gave a sigh as he thought about his sister when he heard the flapping of wings. He turned around to find Narcissis hovering behind him.  
  
"What do you want with me?" he demanded of her.  
  
"I came to talk, that's what. I am curious about this Nanaylia you keep speaking of," she replied, a smile on her face.  
  
"I won't talk to you about her. You're a gargoyle and your kind can't be trusted," Legolas snarled at her.  
  
Narcissis seemed to be disappointed with this but Legolas knew she wasn't serious.  
  
"It's too bad dear prince what happend to her. It really is," she quietly told him before turning around.  
  
"You are not the least bit sad about what happened to her. I know how gargoyles work. My knowledge of your species has grown over the years since I met your friends," Legolas replied as he held onto his shoulder, which was slowly starting to hurt again.  
  
Narcissis turned to face him and she gave him a small smile.  
  
"You will see me again, whether you like it or not and I will constantly remind you of her," Narcissis sternly told him before turning around.  
  
She began to flap her wings and she flew off into the night sky. Legolas watched her leave before breaking down into tears again over his sister. Once he knew she was out of sight, he fell to his knees and stared up at the stars through blurry eyes.  
  
"You said you'd always be there for me!" he yelled up at the sky before drooping his head. "But you're not. It's because of me. It's my fault."  
  
He sat there, not expecting anyone to say anything until a small wind blew up. It surrounded him and he embraced it. All of a sudden, he heard something that greatly startled him.  
  
'Help me Legolas,' he heard a female voice whisper amongst the quiet gusts.  
  
***  
  
Elladan led the horse away from the palace, still having no luck in finding Legolas.  
  
"Where could he be? He simply cannot go far in his condition" he muttered to himself.  
  
He was soon surprised by the flapping of wings above him. He looked up to see the strange gargoyle he and the others had seen before.  
  
"She looks to be in range of this," he quietly told himself as he readied his bow.  
  
He steadied it and fired. A smile drew across the elf's face once he heard a scream of pain. He heard a thump and he ran over to the heap, aiming an arrow at her. Elladan saw that the arrow he shot at her went through the gargoyle's shoulder and hit the wing.  
  
'So that's why she fell. Her wing pained her too much,' he thought to himself. "Where's Legolas? What did you do to him?"  
  
"I did nothing to the elf that you seek. If you want to know where he is located, go find him yourself," replied Narcissis, trying to hide the pain which laced her voice.  
  
"No, I'm not. You know where he is so you're taking me to him. Now get going," Elladan replied.  
  
Narcissis growled, knowing that she was not in a position to make demands. She gingerly stood up and began walking towards the place where Legolas was currently staying.  
  
***  
  
Thranduil was in his study, trying to read a book. It wasn't helping take his mind off the current situation. He knew something was bothering Legolas, he didn't know exactly what it was yet. He placed the book on the table beside the chair and put his chin in the palm of his hand.  
  
"What can I do for my son? I really do not want to lose him as well," he quietly said to himself, giving a sigh. "I miss Nanaylia so much as well."  
  
He was about to stand up and see how Legolas was doing when he heard noises coming from outside. He walked over to the window to see the three gargoyles that he knew of leading an army of gargoyles against the palace. His eyes widened as he hurried out into the hall. Elves were running in every direction, trying to escape capture.  
  
Thranduil hurried down to Legolas' room and opened the door to find noone in it.  
  
"Legolas!" he cried as he ran over to the window. "No!"  
  
He knew Legolas sometimes sat in the tree outside his room but the prince wasn't there either. Thranduil's shoulders slumped at the sight.  
  
"Where is he?" he demanded to know.  
  
At that moment, Elrond, Arwen and Chimone hurried the room. Elrond stayed by the door as the two female elves hurried up to Thranduil.  
  
"My Lord, what do we do? There are more gargoyles than ever storming the palace," Chimone wanted to know. "There is no way out."  
  
Thranduil couldn't believe what he was hearing. As far as he knew, the gargoyle population dwindled to almost none at all.  
  
"Come this way. I seem to remember a secret exit that appears to be free of those creatures," Thranduil told them as he climbed out the window.  
  
The others followed him and they climbed down the tree and Thranduil led the three to the passageway that he knew. But that was all cut short when three gargoyles landed before them.  
  
"Well, well, well. If it isn't good King Thranduil. It is so good to see you again," Shentree told him.  
  
"Who's leading you?" demanded Elrond.  
  
"What's it to you?" wondered Banside as Sathed began to quietly laugh.  
  
"I know about your species. I know you like attacking in force but this was all planned out. Your species is incapable of elaborate thought," Elrond replied.  
  
The three growled at the statement, pulling out their arrows.  
  
"You are going to pay for the accusation. We can be capable of elaborate thought," Shentree told him. "But we must wait to kill you. Someone is waiting for the lot of you."  
  
Arwen and Chimone glanced at each other with worried looks as the small group of four was led back to the palace.  
  
***  
  
Aragorn and Elrohir were sitting in the library when the attack began. They looked outside the windows to see the mass of gargoyles outside.  
  
"What is going on here?" wondered Aragorn.  
  
"I think the oppressed suddenly decided to come out in force, that's what I think!" replied Elrohir. "We had better get going or else we will be captured."  
  
The two ran out of the room into the crowd. They made their way outside the palace and they headed towards the forest north of the palace. Along the way, a few gargoyles tried to stop them but the man and elf managed to get past them and into the wilderness.  
  
Once they were some distance away, the two turned to look at the seige and devestation of the palace.  
  
"Do you think anyone else could've gotten out?" wondered Aragorn.  
  
"We'll just have to wait and see. It's too soon to tell," replied Elrohir.  
  
***  
  
Elladan followed Narcissis towards Legolas' position. The gargoyle was slowing down by each passing step and the elf noticed this.  
  
"What's the matter?" he asked.  
  
"What do you think elf? You are the cause of my pain right at the moment," came the reply, the voice sounding angry.  
  
She led Elladan to a clearing and he clearly saw Legolas, sitting on the ground. He could hear the sobs coming from the still saddened elf. He wasn't prepared for what he was about to hear and his heart felt like it was in his stomach at that moment.  
  
"Nanaylia, please come back!" Legolas cried. "I'm so sorry! Please forgive me for being responsible for your death!"  
  
TBC... 


	13. No Chance of Escape

Elladan gasped and stepped back one step. His foot connected with a fallen tree branch and it broke in two. Legolas gasped at the sound and turned to see the elf standing there. He tried to crawl away from him.  
  
"Elladan, what are you doing here?" demanded Legolas.  
  
"Legolas, I came out looking for you. I was worried about you because of your injury," Elladan replied.  
  
Legolas glanced to see the gargoyle behind him. He pointed at her.  
  
"And what is she doing here?" he wanted to know, almost sneering.  
  
Elladan looked in the direction he was pointing.  
  
"She led me here Legolas. I told her to and it's not like she had a choice. She can't go anywhere very quickly besides that," Elladan replied.  
  
"It's not like I asked for it either," she muttered.  
  
Elladan gave her a cautious look as he knelt beside Legolas. He looked at the crying elf as he placed a hand on Legolas' good shoulder  
  
"Let me help you," he told Legolas.  
  
"No, I can't go back. Father will hate me if he found out the truth," Legolas replied, turning away from his friend.  
  
"Come here," Elladan said in a soothing voice.  
  
Legolas accepted the offer and he sat in Elladan's embrace, the tears continuing to fall down his face. It was then that Elladan picked up an arrow and hit Legolas over the head with it. The elf looked at him, surprised.  
  
"What was that for?" demanded Legolas, placing a hand over his head.  
  
"It doesn't matter anymore, does it? It is over with, is it not?" Elladan posed with a smile on his face.  
  
"I guess so but you still could've hurt me," Legolas told him as he looked at his hand.  
  
"The way I see it Legolas, you can either go on about what I just did or forget about it. The same goes with Nanaylia's death. You can't keep going on that you're responsible when you're not! Can't you see that? You were always the one who took the responsibility whenever something happened to her. You were always her older brother and the best one I ever knew. You are not to blame for what has happened to her. I know I don't know the whole story but one way or another, you have to get over her death," Elladan quietly told him. "I miss her so much as well but we cannot keep blaming ourselves for anything that happened."  
  
Legolas looked up him before wiping away the tears from his face.  
  
"Maybe you're right but there's only one thing," Legolas replied.  
  
"What's that?" wondered Elladan.  
  
"I still miss her and I guess I've been blaming myself all these years so I still feel responsible for it. I have this voice in my head that keeps telling me that I'm at fault. I think it will still be there to a point," Legolas replied as they stood up.  
  
Elladan allowed Legolas to lean on him as the two elves walked over to the gargoyle, who was still clinging onto her injured shoulder.  
  
"What does your master intend to do?" demanded Elladan.  
  
"What is it to you? By the time you get back, it will be too late to do anything," she replied with a laugh.  
  
Narcissis began to cough before Elladan lifted her to her feet.  
  
"What does that mean?" Legolas wanted to know.  
  
The gargoyle began to laugh again, making the two want to get back to the palace sooner. Elladan knew that it would take some time because of Legolas' injury as well and Narcissis'.  
  
***  
  
Shentree was behind the group of elves as they were being led towards the throne room.  
  
"Why are you doing this?" Arwen wanted to know.  
  
"What do you think? Power! My people have been oppressed for centuries! A little known reason that my people have dwindled in numbers because of our appearance. They judged us because of our wings, our hair, our habits, everything," Shentree snapped back.  
  
"You don't know how much ridicule we received," Banside told Arwen.  
  
"And what of you? What do you think?" Arwen asked Sathed.  
  
The gargoyle simply looked at her for a moment before laughing, making the female elf confused.  
  
"Sathed was never one for talking. He's been like that since before Shentree and I met him," Banside told her.  
  
Thranduil looked at Chimone, Elrond and Arwen. He felt slightly responsible for having the father and daughter brought into this mess.  
  
'Where are you Legolas? Wherever you are, I hope you're nowhere near here,' he thought to himself.  
  
"Where are you taking us?" Elrond demanded to know.  
  
"Oh, we're taking you to our leader. He will decide what will happen to you," replied Banside.  
  
"Right now, he's making himself at home," Shentree told him with a smile.  
  
The four elves looked at each other, wondering who they were going to come face to face with. Chimone had a feeling she knew who it was but she wasn't certain.  
  
***  
  
Manlin was sitting in the throne, looking around at the room.  
  
"I have so wanted to look at this room from here," he muttered to himself.  
  
Soon, he heard a door open and he looked to see Shentree, Banside and Sathed walk into the room.  
  
"We have them, as you ordered," Shentree told him.  
  
"Good, bring them in here," Manlin ordered.  
  
The group of four were led inside the room and Thranduil couldn't help but gasp once he saw the elf.  
  
"It was you all along. I should have know," Thranduil said with a sneer.  
  
"Of course it's me. Who else would you expect to plan a full scale assault on the Mirkwood palace with gargoyles?" he replied with a smile.  
  
"How did you do it?" Elrond had to ask.  
  
"Do what exactly? I've done several things over the last little while," Manlin wanted to confirm.  
  
"The gargoyles. They're a dying species. How did you come to have an army of them?" Elrond told him.  
  
"It's simple really. I am a practioneer of the dark arts. There are ways of creating an army through magic. Living, breathing creatures. Oh, the gargoyles you see out there are not illusions, believe me and they are capable of destruction and one can certainly touch them. Also, the three you see here, the actual gargoyles in this operation, they are powerful than what they were before. They are the leaders of my armies, my minions. We will take over and all of you will all do my bidding," Manlin told them. "Now all I want right now is to see King Thranduil beg."  
  
"Never," Thranduil replied as he gave a sigh and shook his head.  
  
"I knew you'd say that but I can wait. Narcissis is away right now and I am certain that she is following the dear Prince Legolas. I am also certain that she will bring him back alive. It would be nice to have him here as well," Manlin told him before laughing.  
  
Thranduil lowered his head, hoping that Legolas would not be captured.  
  
***  
  
Legolas was sitting in front of the gargoyle as Elladan led the horse back towards the palace. Neither of them were enjoying it and Elladan could almost feel the tension in the air as they got ever closer to their destination.  
  
He felt the tension grow worse once he saw Aragorn and Elrohir in the distance.  
  
"Elrohir!" cried Elladan.  
  
"Elladan. I'm so glad you're alright," sighed Elrohir as he headed up to his brother.  
  
"What's wrong?" Elladan wanted to know.  
  
"What's...wrong?" repeated Aragorn.  
  
"You wouldn't be out here in the middle of the night unless it was a really good reason. What is it?" replied the slightly nervous elf.  
  
"It's the palace. It's been overrun with gargoyles," sighed Elrohir. "We manged to escape and we thought you were still there along with Legolas."  
  
They heard laughing from on top the horse. The four watched as Narcissis jumped from the horse and faced them but not before wincing.  
  
"It's over. You won't be able to defeat him now. My comrades are leading the armies and nothing you do can stop them," she said with a cough.  
  
Aragorn stepped up to her and grabbed her shoulders. She winced slightly in pain from her injury and she tried to keep the pain from showing.  
  
"We can most certainly well try. This war isn't over yet," he told her.  
  
"I love to see you try," Narcissis said with a smirk, the pain evident in her voice despite her efforts.  
  
Legolas had to narrow his eyes as he looked at the gargoyle.  
  
'I don't like this at all. She keeps reminding me of my sister in more ways than one. I wish I could get past this feeling of Nanaylia,' he thought to himself as he turned away.  
  
"Come on. You're going to be our bargaining tool against this elf, whoever he is. I'm pretty sure he will want to have you back," Aragorn told her as he led her in the direction towards the palace.  
  
The gargoyle sighed, knowing that she wasn't going to like the situation one bit.  
  
TBC... 


	14. In Pain to Remembering a Friend

Manlin walked in front of the four elves, looking at each of them.  
  
"Shentree," he suddenly said.  
  
"Yes, sir?" she asked, stepping forward.  
  
"Go find Narcissis. She's overdue with the prince and I want him here as well. I want him here to witness his father suffering," he told her. "He's also becoming late with his appointment."  
  
"Yes, I will go find her," she said, bowing her head before leaving the room.  
  
Manlin looked at Banside and Sathed.  
  
"As for you two, I require your help with something that I desire," he said with an evil smile.  
  
The two nodded, waiting for him to give the order.  
  
"Bring Thranduil forward," Manlin ordered the other two.  
  
The two gargoyles obeyed, forcing Thranduil to his feet and back down on his knees before Manlin.  
  
"You see, even though Legolas is not here, I still want to have some fun with you," he quietly told the royal elf. "What's the sense to have you here is I can't have any fun?"  
  
Thranduil became more nervous at that moment as he watched the elf, who walked over to the chair sitting in the middle of the room. He grabbed something from the side of it and the four elves gasped once they saw what it was.  
  
It was a metal rod whose end was red hot. Thranduil became tense at the sight, knowing what was going to happen.  
  
"You know, this isn't going to hurt me at all. Actually, I've been waiting to do this for some time now," Manlin told him.  
  
He laid the end of it against Thranduil's body, across his shoulders. Thranduil tried not to cry out in pain but he soon had to because it soared through him while Elrond, Arwen and Chimone looked on, helpless to do anything.  
  
'And this madman has managed to keep these feelings from showing all this time. I don't know how he did it,' Elrond thought to himself.  
  
***  
  
Legolas carefully watched Narcissis as they headed back to the palace. She had been forced to walk since she got off the horse. He could tell that she was slowing down because of her injury. Soon, she caught him staring at her. She gave a snicker as she looked at him.  
  
"My dear prince, why do you stare at me?" she asked him as she glanced away.  
  
Legolas turned away from her, slightly embarrassed by this statement.  
  
"I want to know why you and the others are doing this," he replied.  
  
She laughed again before she faced him again.  
  
"You don't understand what it feels like to be different from others. I do. You've always been protected by your father in the safety of your kingdom," replied Narcissis as they came into the view of the palace.  
  
The elves and man gasped as they looked upon the place as the sun rose over the horizon. The once beautiful building had been changed in the few hours they had been gone. It had been overrun with gargoyles. There were no elves around and those that were, were being led into the building. Probably to be imprisoned  
  
"We have to right this. Who's doing this? Tell us now!" Elladan demanded of Narcissis, roughly grabbing her shoulders.  
  
She couldn't help but wince in pain and cry out. She gritted her teeth as she stared into the elf's eyes.  
  
"Go find out yourself. I'm not telling you anything," she snarled back at him through gritted teeth.  
  
"You are in no position to make demands like this," the elf told her, obviously angry.  
  
He shook her shoulders and she winced again. She looked at him with a smile on her face.  
  
"No, I'm not but I don't think you would do anything to me," she replied.  
  
"What makes you think we won't?" Elrohir had to wonder from behind his brother.  
  
Aragorn nodded in agreement as she looked between them.  
  
"It's because you need me alive to get into the palace and bargain with my leader, that's what makes me think so," Narcissis explained.  
  
Elladan took his hands off her shoulders and turned back towards the palace.  
  
"We'll deal with her when we get this other situation dealt with," he muttered to the others.  
  
Aragorn began to lead the gargoyle towards the building. He was wondering how she knew so much.  
  
***  
  
Manlin looked at Thranduil lying on the ground, his back, arms, face and chest covered in burn marks.  
  
"We don't have to do this Manlin. We can talk this out," Thranduil quietly told the elf.  
  
"Talk this out? Talk this out?" Manlin repeated, disbelief in his voice. "Believe it or not Thranduil, I like to consider myself the same way as my friends here. I was oppressed for many years! I had nowhere to go and nothing to do but wait for you to come for my guidance. Do you realize how much I wanted to leave this position? And yes, I know I didn't wait for Legolas to be here but I believe he will be here soon enough to see you die."  
  
Manlin turned away from Thranduil. Chimone, who was forced to watch just a few feet away, couldn't believe that this was happening.  
  
'I just hope that this entire family does not die. First, it was Legolas' and Nanaylia's mother, then Nanaylia herself. I just hope that Legolas and Thranduil aren't taken by this evil,' she thought to herself.  
  
At that moment, Manlin faced the group again and began to laugh. Elrond, Arwen and Chimone were all slightly worried with what was said.  
  
"Now I want to have some more fun. First, some more torment with Thranduil. Then with the rest of you," he told the trio.  
  
The three gasped and looked at each other. Their worries increased with this news.  
  
***  
  
The group looked over the gargoyles surrounding the palace.  
  
"How would we ever get past them? There's a lot of them while there's only four of us," wondered Elrohir.  
  
"I was thinking the same thing," agreed Aragorn.  
  
"Simple. We use her. They won't hurt one of their own," Elladan said, pointing at the gargoyle they had with them.  
  
He led her out to the others. They took notice of them and growled.  
  
"You come any closer and she'll get it," Elladan told them, pulling out a dagger and positioning at Narcissis' neck.  
  
She gulped as she looked her the other gargoyles.  
  
"We do not want to hurt one of our own. That is our way," one said.  
  
The four walked into the building, taking Narcissis with them. Once inside, she became angry.  
  
"You did your job with me, what else do you want me for?" she wondered.  
  
"That's none of your concern at the moment. We will decide what will happen with you when this is all over," Elladan replied.  
  
Legolas walked inside, an arm on his shoulder. He felt dizzier than he had before and he leaned into the wall. He cried out in pain. Elrohir hurried over to him as did Aragorn.  
  
"Legolas! What's wrong?" asked the elf.  
  
"It's my shoulder. It still hurts. A lot," he replied, pain lacing his voice.  
  
Legolas slid down the wall. He was gasping for air as Elrohir moved the clothing covering the wound. He stared at it and was surprised by the looks of it.  
  
"This does not look good. If we make it out of this, this wound will have to be taken care of immediately. It almost seems as if has gotten worse," Elrohir said.  
  
"What? Worse? How can that be?" wondered Aragorn. "It shouldn't have gotten worse."  
  
Elladan looked down the hallway to see a painting on the wall. He knew it was a picture of Nanaylia. He took his mind off the situation just for a moment, to Legolas' sister. His eyes appeared to be distant, as if remembering the female elf that he once knew. He missed her a lot.  
  
That was all Narcissis needed. She elbowed Elladan in the stomach hard and he doubled over, gasping for air. She kicked him in the shins, making him fall to one knee and hurried as fast as she could away. Aragorn began to go after her but Elladan grabbed his arm.  
  
"Let her go. It's not like she'll be going anywhere fast and she doesn't know this place that well," Elladan told him as he caught his breath.  
  
"Are you sure? She might find her way out of here," Aragorn wondered.  
  
Elladan nodded as he managed to climb to his feet.  
  
"I remember reading about gargoyles. Their sight's not as good during the day as it is during the night," he replied.  
  
Aragorn looked at elf and sighed as he looked down the hall the gargoyle had gone.  
  
"Are you alright?" he heard Elrohir ask Elladan.  
  
He nodded before straightening up more fully. Elrohir looked over his brother.  
  
"We have to go find our father. He needs to look at this wound immediately," Elrhoir said as Legolas gave a groan.  
  
"You're not going anywhere," came an evil-sounding voice. "I'm surprised to see the four of you here. I'm not disappointed but I am happy."  
  
The four looked to see Shentree standing down the hall. Legolas groaned, from both the pain in his shoulder and the presence of the gargoyle. He really didn't want to be around another gargoyle.  
  
Shentree walked up to the group. She could tell that Aragorn and Elladan were being cautious and were a bit tense. Suddenly, she plunged into the group and managed to grab Legolas by his injured arm. The elf cried out in pain. She held his arm up, making sure the pain stayed.  
  
"I was sent to look for Narcissis but I think he will be happy with the four of you Especially you, dear prince," she said, a smile crossing her face.  
  
Legolas looked at her with startled and pained eyes. Shentree quietly laughed as she saw the pain.  
  
"You will be hurt more than this prince. Much more," she quietly told him.  
  
TBC... 


	15. Truths Revealed

Shentree led the hurting Legolas towards the throne room. She was behind the group, whom she knew were trying to think of how to escape.  
  
"Don't any of you even think about escaping. I am more powerful than the last time we met," she told them with a smile.  
  
Elrohir rolled his eyes at the statement, knowing at that moment that escape was a long way off. Probably non-existant unless something happened that went their way He looked at his brother and Aragorn, wondering what they were thinking.  
  
Shentree forced them into the large room, where they were greeted by a familiar figure.  
  
"Manlin! I should have known. You always did give me the creeps," Elladan said, not sounding happy at all.  
  
"Oh really? That's good to hear," Manlin snickered as he headed towards them. "Shentree, I see you couldn't find Narcissis. That is a pity but the ones you brought with you will do indeed, especially since I see you have the prince with you. She will find her way here eventually or else I'm going to send you after her again."  
  
Shentree nodded as Legolas gulped as he continued to look at Manlin. He glanced over at his father and at the burns and bruises over his body.  
  
"What do you want with me? With all of us?" wondered Legolas, the pain still evident in his voice.  
  
"What do I want, you ask? I want to see you and your father dead, that's what I want," came the reply. "Restrain them immediately!"  
  
The twins and Aragorn soon found themselves being tied up by the gargoyles, caught off guard by the order that was suddenly given. The three looked at Legolas, who was nearby for there was nobody else to do anything about him. Shentree began to walk towards him but was stopped by a raised hand from Manlin.  
  
"I'll take care of him," he told her before facing the prince. "Dear Legolas, it's a shame that your sister couldn't be here. She had such a pretty face. It's also too bad about what happened to her. I would have enjoyed doing this to three of you."  
  
"You would know what happened to her, everyone knows what happened to her Manlin. She was killed by wolves," Legolas retorted.  
  
"Of course but not everyone feels that way. I happen to know how you feel about Nanaylia's death," replied Manlin, a small smile on his face.  
  
Legolas looked at him in disbelief. He was shaking his head.  
  
"No! Not that!" Legolas cried, placing his hands over his ears and stepping back a few steps.  
  
"Legolas, what is he talking about?" Arwen asked him, becoming worried.  
  
"How do you know about that Manlin?" demanded Legolas, the tears falling down his face once again.  
  
"I know about it because Narcissis told me about it when she came to us. You might know that she saw what happened to the three of you," Manlin replied, steadily walking towards the prince. "Tell them Legolas. Tell them what's on your mind about Nanaylia."  
  
Thranduil slightly opened his eyes and looked at his son, slightly raising his head.  
  
"Legolas," he whispered, the pain evident in his eyes and voice. "What is he saying?"  
  
Legolas looked at his father and shook his head.  
  
"I'm so sorry Father. I'm so sorry about Nanaylia. It's my fault that she's dead. Nanaylia is dead because of me," Legolas quietly said to the group as he fell to his knees.  
  
Thranduil closed his eyes and laid his head back down on the floor.  
  
***  
  
Narcissis made her way through the palace halls. She was slowly becoming weaker and weaker. She stopped and looked at her surroundings. She found that she made her way down into the depths of the palace rather than towards the outside.  
  
"I guess I went in the wrong direction," she muttered to herself as she managed to walk a few more steps. "I left my brother behind in my old home for this. I miss him so much. I wish I could see him again."  
  
Her world soon became dizzy and she collapsed onto the floor, never knowing what was occuring upstairs. She lay there on the cold floor, waitng for whatever fate would deal her.  
  
***  
  
Elladan shook his head and mouthed the word 'no'.  
  
"Legolas, we talked about this! You are not responsible for her death! It was an accident!" Elladan cried at Legolas.  
  
Legolas fell to his knees, making the evil elf smile even more. Elrond looked over at Legolas as he tried to escape his binds.  
  
"Legolas, it can't be true. I know it's not true. There must be more to this story other than the wolves and the two of you falling down the hill," he whispered to himself.  
  
Arwen glanced at him, having heard what he said. She silently agreed with him before looking over at Thranduil, who had closed his eyes again and tried to take a deep breath. He couldn't help but cough, making him cringe in pain.  
  
Manlin snickered as he walked up to Legolas and kicked him in the stomach, making him double over. Legolas soon fell onto his back. Manlin could see that the elf was in pain, almost screaming out.  
  
"Legolas!" cried Elladan and Elrohir in unison.  
  
"Stop this!" cried Elrond.  
  
"You are pathetic. I have waited for this moment for a long time now," Manlin quietly told him, placing the rod next to Legolas' neck.  
  
Legolas glanced at the hot rod sitting next to his face. He silently thanked that it wasn't touching him...yet.  
  
"How long has it been?" wondered Legolas.  
  
"Since before your sister died in that one incident with the wolves," Manlin replied as he hovered over the younger elf.  
  
The elf placed the hot metal rod on Legolas' arm, just under the injury, making him cry out in pain. It seemed to Legolas that his arm was beginning to burn. It possibly was as he felt the rod travel down his arm to his hand.  
  
"Shentree, lift him up," ordered Manlin.  
  
The female gargoyle, her prisoner now being watched over by Banside, did as she was told, allowing Manlin to have better access to Legolas, who looked up at the elf before him.  
  
"This keeps getting better and better. You don't even know that yet," Manlin told Legolas as he placed the rod on Legolas' other shoulder.  
  
Legolas cried out as the others helplessly watched the spectacle. Thranduil tried to drown out his son's cries. He couldn't bear to listen but it was impossible to do so as his son's voice filled his ears.  
  
The rod was soon taken away from his skin but the pain remained. Legolas lifted his head to stare at Manlin with a look that said 'why are you doing this?'  
  
"Put him down," ordered Manlin.  
  
Shentree allowed Legolas to fall to the floor in a heap as Manlin walked up to him.  
  
"I have something to tell you Legolas," he quietly said.  
  
Legolas snarled as Manlin leaned down so only the younger elf could hear what he had to say. The elf grabbed Legolas' shoulders, making the young elf wince in pain.  
  
"These injuries will prove to be useful indeed. You want to know something? Well, I'm going to tell you whether you want to hear it or not. Remember the day that your sister died? I want to let you in on this little secret that I have to tell you before you die yourself," Manlin told him.  
  
Legolas tried to hide a few winces from him, knowing that he probably wouldn't like what he was about to hear.  
  
"Well, it turn out that those wolves that attacked you, your sister and your father were made of the same material those gargoyles outside are made of," Manlin whispered to him.  
  
Legolas remembered the wolves all too well and he wasn't believing what he was hearing.  
  
"That's right Legolas. I was behind the wolf pack. They weren't real. They were created by magic. I was responsible for her death, not you. I myself finished her off after the two of you fell down the hill and her body was fed to the real wolves. The only reason you survived that day was because of the fact that you weren't seen," Manlin quietly confirmed.  
  
Now Legolas defiantely couldn't believe what he was hearing.  
  
He wasn't responsible for his sister's death. He never was.  
  
TBC... 


	16. For the Honour of a Sister

"I don't believe it. It was you?" Legolas almost cried out.  
  
"Yes, it was me. You're going to have to deal with it," Manlin replied as he placed the sword closer to Legolas' neck. "Too bad you're not going to find out any more."  
  
Legolas shook his head, still not believing what he had just heard. He growled before moving the blade of the sword away from his neck and rolling away, the movement making his shoulders greatly protest. He clumsily climbed to his feet as Manlin growled himself. Legolas grabbed his bow and an arrow and clumsily aimed it at Manlin. He didn't have much strength in his arms because of the injuries but he knew he had to continue. For his sister's sake.  
  
"You will not win this. I will make sure of that," Legolas snarled at him. "Tell them!"  
  
"You are delusional, you're still distraight over your sister's death and this can't bring her back. Nothing can," Manlin said, emphasizing the last two words.  
  
"I know that but I would feel a lot lot better if you'd tell them," Legolas replied, anger still in his voice.  
  
"You can't kill me. You don't even threaten me in your condition," Manlin told him, a snicker in his voice.  
  
"I'm the best archer in these lands. I suppose that this arrow would travel faster than your magic," Legolas said, pulling back the bowstring. "Tell them the truth."  
  
He winced in pain as he clumsily aimed it at the elf.  
  
"Alright, alright. I did it," Manlin quietly confessed, averting his eyes away from the group.  
  
"Did what?" Legolas pushed him. "What did you do?"  
  
"I planned the attack on the king and his children. I killed Nanaylia," he sneered, not liking what he had to do.  
  
The elves and man gasped. Thranduil, who had heard the the conversation taking place, had to close his eyes again.  
  
'I should have known it was him who was behind it,' he thought to himself as he turned his head away. 'Now she's dead and I couldn't have done anything about it.'  
  
Legolas then ran over Aragorn and the twins, cutting the rope holding Elladan's hands together. The freed elf attacked the gargoyle behind him, knocking him to the ground. Banside gasped for air as Elladan hurried over to his brother, freeing him.  
  
Legolas turned towards Manlin, who was obviously angry.  
  
"Rise up!" he cried, lifting up his arms.  
  
Several gargoyles appeared out of nowhere and they headed for the injured elf. They surrounded him, knocking him to the ground. Legolas gasped out in pain as soon as he did so, unable to move anywhere.  
  
By that moment, everyone had been freed from their binds and the twins and Aragorn were facing off against the trio of gargoyles as Chimone, Arwen and Elrond had hurried over to Thranduil.  
  
"These injuries do not look good. Arwen, Chimone, please stay with him," Elrond told the two female elves.  
  
They nodded as Elrond gave a look around the place before finding a sword nearby. He hurried up to his sons and Aragorn.  
  
"Go help Legolas," he told them in a stern voice.  
  
"But Father!" protested Elladan.  
  
"Just do it!" Elrond said. "I can take care of myself."  
  
The three headed for Legolas to find him surrounded by gargoyles. He was being kicked around the place and the gargoyles were laughing as they did so. The three charged into the group, getting to their friend. They drove the gargoyles away from Legolas and they stood around him.  
  
"You won't win, even after this little confession of mine. You will die by my hand Legolas, just like your sister did all those years ago," Manlin said to them in a sneering voice as he walked through the group.  
  
"Not unless you die by my hand first," Legolas said as he painfully climbed to his feet and faced the elf.  
  
"I seriously do not see that happening for you are in such a sad state. Also, you and your friends are greatly outnumbered," Manlin replied with a laugh. "I will be victorious!"  
  
Legolas growled as Aragorn and the twins were attacked by the gargoyles.  
  
"Go Legolas!" Elladan cried at him.  
  
Legolas couldn't help but stare at his friend with curious yet scared eyes.  
  
"You have your sister's honour to think about now. Go deal with him. I know you can do it. Nanaylia would believe in you. She always did," Elladan replied as he blocked an oncoming attack.  
  
Legolas glanced between him and Manlin before heading to the outside of the group.  
  
***  
  
Narcissis tried to open her eyes while she lay in her prison. She was slowly becoming weaker and weaker by each passing moment.  
  
She managed to wake up enough to lift herself to her hands and knees, crawling over to the corner of the room.  
  
"So this is how it all ends for me. I die here in a corner of a dungeon while the others thrive upstairs. They don't care about me. They never really did. I know it, I've felt it. They won't find me until I've been long since dead," she whispered to herself before drifting into unconsciouness again.  
  
***  
  
Legolas faced Manlin, his bow and arrows in hand. They began to walk around in a circle.  
  
"This is over here and now," Legolas told him.  
  
"Yes, it is. For you. I will live and rule this kingdom with my gargoyle troops. Your people will die and so will your dear friends from Rivendell. Too bad your human friend over there didn't have a chance to meet her. She had and effect on everyone around here. But me!" Manlin retorted as he aimed a sword at the young prince.  
  
He suddenly turned and headed for the other side of the room. Legolas slowly followed him and they found themselves in a corner.  
  
"Murderer," Legolas sneered at him. "You killed the only person meaning the world to me. Nothing can bring her back and I have to live with the fact that she was killed by you. Someone from our own people."  
  
"Your people? Dear Legolas, if you only knew the truth. Also, it's too bad you're going to have to deal with it someday. You already know that nothing can bring her back," Manlin replied.  
  
The elf lunged for the prince, knocking him to the ground. Legolas cried in pain before managing to push him off.  
  
Soon, both elves had swords in hand and were in combat. The elf prince was easily tiring as it continued on.  
  
"I can take whatever you can throw at me," Manlin told him after a few moments.  
  
"I'm not giving up that easily," Legolas replied with a shake of his head.  
  
The two continued on for a few moments longer until Legolas found himself lying on the ground, on his back, several feet away from Manlin, who smiled and began to charge towards him.  
  
Legolas groppled for his bow. He soon found it and he aimed it at the oncoming elf. He fired an arrow and the elf stopped in his tracks, just hovering above Legolas. He looked down to see an arrow protruding from his chest. Legolas was surprised that he actually managed to let go of an arrow with enough strength to do some damage.  
  
"Looks like you won after all," was all he said before dropping the sword beside him.  
  
Manlin fell to the ground beside his sword. Legolas ran his hands through his hair as he continued to stare at the body.  
  
"He's truly gone. I miss you Nanay," he whispered to himself as he looked outside the window.  
  
He narrowed his eyes as he watched the gargoyles disappear from within the skies. He was surprised by this. He looked over the gargoyles that Elladan, Elrohir and Aragorn were battling against. They too, were disappearing into thin air.  
  
As for Shentree, Banside and Sathed he watched as they began to change. Their sudden courage and increased strentgh from the magic had disappeared to nothing, leaving them the same gargoyles they were when Legolas had first met them all those years before. He stared at them.  
  
Shentree looked at herself before her stare came to her companions. The three of them soon stared at Elrond, who was standing before them, a sword in hand as the others walked up behind them. They raised their arms into the air.  
  
"Whatever you do, just please don't kill us," Banside requested, obviously scared.  
  
The three of them were huddled in a circle.  
  
"That will have to be decided once the king is better," Elrond replied as he turned to his sons. "Keep watch over them. You know they can be dangerous."  
  
He hurried over to Thranduil, looking over his burns.  
  
"These are serious. We have to get him out of here, as well as Legolas. Please go help him and follow me," Elrond told Chimone and Arwen.  
  
They both nodded and went to help Legolas out of the room.  
  
TBC... 


	17. A Search for Questions

Elladan, Elrohir, Chimone, Arwen and Aragorn were all outside the room, waiting as patiently as they possibly could for news about Thranduil and Legolas.  
  
Elrond soon walked out of the room to be greeted by the five of them.  
  
"Both of them will live. Legolas' shoulder had indeed become worse but within the short time, but that will heal. I'm afraid his mental state will not quite as easily," Elrond told them.  
  
"I can see why. I can hardly imagine, blaming oneself for something beyond their control and in the end, you aren't even responsible for it. Someone else is," sighed Elrohir as he began to pace back and forth.  
  
Aragorn had placed his hand on his chin. It appeared to Elladan that he was thinking about something.  
  
"What's wrong Aragorn?" he asked, his curiousity getting the better of him.  
  
"I just realized something," Aragorn replied.  
  
"And what's that?" wondered Arwen as she listened in on the conversation.  
  
"That gargoyle? The one with the paler skin and hair? She might still in here somewhere. We should find her if she is," Aragorn told them.  
  
"Yes, we should actually. Even though she's injured, she could still do some damage before she leaves," agreed Elrohir as he began to head down the hall.  
  
"When you find her, bring her to me," Elrond told him.  
  
Elrohir looked at his father with widened eyes.  
  
"You can't be serious!" he cried. "She...she's a gargoyle!"  
  
"I know that and even she deserves my attention, no matter what race she belongs to," Elrond sternly replied. "And once she gets better, she can possibly help us."  
  
Elrohir rolled his eyes and sighed before heading down the hall, Aragorn and Elladan following him.  
  
"So how should we go about finding her?" wondered Aragorn.  
  
"We split up. We'll cover more ground that way. Though there's one thing I can't assure you of Father," Elrohir replied.  
  
"What's that?" Elladan cautiously asked.  
  
"That I will get along with that thing. She's injured Legolas in more ways than one and I don't like it at all," he replied.  
  
The three soon went into different directions to look for the gargoyle.  
  
***  
  
Elladan found his way into the library. He looked around the room to see no one there. He gave a sigh.  
  
"It is so difficult to find one person in a large place. For all we know, she could be gone by now. She could even be dead in some hidden area and we not know it until it was too late," he muttered to himself before walking out of the room.  
  
He began to head down the hall to his next destination.  
  
***  
  
Elrohir walked down the hall, heading towards the kitchen. He figured that she wasn't down in this direction: no one had come of the rooms, screaming.  
  
"When I get the chance, she is so going to pay for what she's done. The last thing Legolas needed was her," he quietly said to himself before heading down the hall.  
  
He began to look inside the other rooms down the hallway.  
  
***  
  
The hours passed and darkness of night settled on the land. Aragorn made his way down into the dungeon area with a torch.  
  
He looked around the place, giving a sigh.  
  
"I can't see how she would have come down here anyway. I'm not sure why I came down in the first place," he said before starting to turn around.  
  
But he caught the sight of something lying in the corner from the light of the flame. It appeared to be a figure of some sort. He walked closer to it and the light showed it was Narcissis, her blood lying in a pool beneath her. He hurried up to her side and looked at the wound. She looked up at him as he walked over to her.  
  
As soon as he did so, he was surprised to see her eyes open slightly and stare up at him.  
  
"Leave me be," she barely managed to say.  
  
"No, I won't. I can get you help for this injury," he told her.  
  
"I am sure you can but I want to die. I want to be with my brother," she whispered to him.  
  
"You will see him someday but I cannot let you simply die now," Aragorn replied before he gently picked her up. "I have a small feeling that you have the answer to something."  
  
He headed out of the dungeon and up to Elrond.  
  
***  
  
Elladan and Elrohir walked up to the room their father was in and knocked on the door. Elrond, who was attending to Legolas, stood up and walked over to the door and answered it.  
  
"We couldn't find her. She was nowhere to be found in the areas that we searched in," Elladan said with a sigh.  
  
"So she is either in the areas that Aragorn searched in or not even in the palace anymore," Elrond mused as he stepped out of the room and left the door slightly ajar.  
  
It was at that moment that Aragorn came running down the hall, a figure in his arms. The three saw that it was indeed Narcissis. Elrohir growled as Aragorn hurried up to them.  
  
"Where did you find her Aragorn?" demanded Elrond.  
  
"She was down in the dungeon area. I almost missed her, it was so dark," he replied.  
  
Elrond quickly looked up and down the hall before coming to a nearby door.  
  
"Bring her in here," Elrond told him, motioning with his hand.  
  
Aragorn followed him and laid her on the bed before stepping back and allowing Elrond to look at her wound.  
  
"Do you mind getting me some supplies?" Elrond asked him.  
  
"What?" Aragorn said, surprised by the question.  
  
"Supplies. Do you mind getting some supplies for me? I know Elrohir won't want to, he hates this creature. I don't think he likes the fact she survived," Elrond replied. "That's why I'm asking you."  
  
Aragorn nodded before heading out of the room.  
  
***  
  
Legolas was walking down the hallway when he came across Nanaylia's room. He saw that the door was slightly ajar and he saw someone was inside. He wondered who would be in his sister's old room and walked inside to find out.  
  
There, he found Nanaylia sitting on the bed. It appeared that she was waiting for him to walk into the room. Legolas had to blink as he continued to look at her. It was the last person he expected to see.  
  
"Nanaylia?" he asked, the tears in his eyes.  
  
"Hi Legolas. I'm not really here Lego. You're dreaming," she told him.  
  
"What am I doing here? What are you doing here?" he wondered as he walked up to her.  
  
"I wanted to tell you that I miss you and that I also want to tell you to get past what Manlin has done to me. It cannot be changed, no matter how hard you try or anyone else tries," she explained.  
  
"I miss you so much. I wish you could come back to me and Father," he told her.  
  
"I know, I do too but the past can't hurt. You can either run from it all your life or you can accept it and go on. It's your choice," Nanaylia said to him.  
  
"Alright, I will but it won't be easy to, Nanay," he replied, the tears falling down his face.  
  
"I know that but do it please. For me," she told him, her voice becoming more distant.  
  
The two gave each other a hug before the images disappeared before Legolas' closed eyes. He gasped suddenly and he opened them to see Chimone standing across the room, her back turned towards him as she straightening something on the dresser. She was humming as he groaned. She turned to face him before walking to the side of the bed.  
  
"Legolas, how are you feeling?" she asked him in a worried voice.  
  
"I really can't say yet Mony. How is Father doing?" he quietly replied.  
  
"He will be fine," Chimone replied. "He just requires some rest, like what you need."  
  
Legolas gave a small smile before drifting into sleep.  
  
***  
  
Later in the night, Elrond sat down in the chair next to the bed. The wound in Narcissis' shoulder had been serious but he managed to stop the injury from bleeding further and getting worse. Possibly even preventing her from dying such a death.  
  
"It has been a long night. I know the gargoyle will live now and when she awakens, I will have to ask her a few questions about what recently happened," he quietly said to himself before staring at the gargoyle.  
  
He narrowed his eyes in confusion before standing back up and walking over to the bed. He looked over her entire body and he knew he wasn't hallucinating at that moment. He pulled the covers back over her body and sat back down in the chair while still looking at her still body.  
  
"This is most interesting. She is slowly changing form. Why is that?" he wondered.  
  
Then it came to him as why, remembering what happened just recently. He was surprised with this.  
  
"She is under the control of the magic Manlin was studying! The effects are now wearing off because he is dead!" he gasped. "She is of another race other than gargoyle."  
  
TBC... 


	18. The Reality Behind the Truth

Elrond hurried down the hall and he soon came across his sons.  
  
"Did either of you see a book?" he demanded.  
  
"Book?" repeated Elladan.  
  
"Manlin would have had a book with him. Where is it? Have you seen it?" replied Elrond.  
  
"Actually, I do remember seeing a book in the throne room, in the chair. It might still be there. Why? What's this all about?" Elrohir replied, becoming a little confused.  
  
"I'll explain later Elrohir. I will explain if my suspicions appear to be correct. Right now, all I have are theories," Elrond replied before heading away from them.  
  
He hurried towards the room and headed inside, towards the chair sitting in there. In it, he found the book he was looking for.  
  
"Maybe I can help this person, whoever she is," he quietly told himself before hurrying back to the room.  
  
***  
  
Once there, he sat down in the chair next to the bed.  
  
"What are we going to find in here? I hope I find something," he said in a quiet voice.  
  
He began to read the book before him, hoping to find an answer to what was happening to the gargoyle sleeping in the bed before him.  
  
***  
  
Over the next several days, he read the book over and over again while staying in Narcissis' room. He insisted that he alone enter the room and take care of her. He saw the gargoyle slowly changing before his eyes as the days passed and he could tell that she was turning into an elf. The wings on her back were the last to start disappearing.  
  
He sighed as he placed the book on the table next to the bed. He had read the book countless times without any success in finding a solution to her problem. He looked over at the elf in the bed, taking notice that the wings had completely disappeared from her back now.  
  
"What am I going to do if I can't help her this way?" he wondered as he placed the book on the table nearby. "What if I can't help her at all?"  
  
Elrond had to took twice for he saw the figure moving in the bed. He hurried to her side as she began to raise herself slightly.  
  
"Lay down, you are still injured," Elrond told her as he gently placed his hands on her shoulders.  
  
She looked at him as she placed a hand on her head.  
  
"I want to help you but I don't know where to start," the elf told her in a soothing voice.  
  
"Start. Manlin. He gave me something to drink soon after he took me in. Soon after that, the transformation began," she quietly said as she lay back down onto the bed.  
  
"Do you remember your life before Manlin?" wondered Elrond.  
  
Narcissis had to think for a moment before shaking her head.  
  
"No, I do not. None of it at all," she replied quietly. "At least not yet, if I will at all."  
  
Elrond looked the female elf over. She seemed familiar to him with her blonde hair and fair skin. He placed a hand on her neck, not knowing where he saw her before.  
  
'I still feel it faintly. The magic within her. Whatever she drank that day must remain in her system," he thought to himself. 'Yet the effects of the transformation dwindle because she's no longer near a living Manlin.'  
  
Then he thought of something else at that moment. Something that could help him with finding her identity.  
  
"Can you tell me your name?" he asked.  
  
"M...my name? It's Na...Na...Na... I can't say it. I don't know. I have two names in my mind and I do not know which one is my real name," she replied, turning her head away from him.  
  
She soon turned her whole body away from him, so that her back was facing him. Elrond narrowed his eyes confusion as he noticed something on her lower back. He gently swept a hand over the area before realizing who it was. He recognized the small birthmark on her lower back.  
  
'It can't be her! She...she's...' he screamed to himself in his mind. "I'll be back soon. Stay still."  
  
He hurried out the door and down the hall, still not believing who it was.  
  
***  
  
"Why did Father get us out of bed so late at night? Why couldn't it wait until morning?" wondered Elladan, placing a hand over his mouth to stop a yawn. "I cannot see why it would be so important."  
  
"You're asking me?" Elrohir asked his brother, standing beside Aragorn, who also tried to suppress a yawn.  
  
Chimone and Arwen were both out of bed as well and both were also wondering what was going on at the moment.  
  
Elrond soon walked up to them. He looked over each and every one of them before beginning to speak. He knew they were very curious to what he had to say.  
  
"I have something to tell you but we should get Thranduil and meet in Legolas' room before I do so," he told them.  
  
"Get Thranduil out of bed? Is it that important that you get him out of bed as well?" wondered Elladan.  
  
"Yes, it's that important," Elrond replied in a stern voice. "And I will go wake him. I want you to head towards Legolas' room but don't go inside until I come with his father."  
  
The group nodded, each of them sighing as they headed down the hall towards Legolas' room.  
  
***  
  
Elrond knocked on the door and he heard a 'come in'. He walked inside.  
  
"What is it? Is whatever you want so important that you wake me up?" wondered Thranduil as he sat on the side of the bed.  
  
"Yes, it is. It deals with the gargoyle you were first unfamiliar with. I know what you're going to say but you have to know something about her now," Elrond replied as he gazed over the visible injuries on Thranduil's body. "It cannot wait until morning. It is something very important."  
  
Thranduil gave a sigh before standing up and followed the elf down the hall towards his son's room.  
  
***  
  
"Legolas, we would like to come in. Elrond has something to tell us," Thranduil called into the room as he gently knocked.  
  
Legolas had been reading a book as he was unable to get to sleep. Something nagged at the back of his mind and he couldn't stop thinking about it. Something about what the Nanaylia in his dream had said to him. He called for them to come in and the group of six walked in. They all faced Elrond as Legolas placed the book on the table next to the bed.  
  
"What is the matter?" wondered Arwen.  
  
"It must be important. You would not have gotten us out of bed if it wasn't," Chimone said.  
  
"It is about the gargoyle," he replied.  
  
"I knew it! What did she do? Did she attack you? What?" demanded Elrohir, sounding a bit upset.  
  
He was hoping thaat this would be the chance that would end the gargoyle's stay in the palace.  
  
"No, it's nothing like that Elrohir. I have found something about this gargoyle that you should all know," he started as he faced his son.  
  
"She's a gargoyle. That's all we need to know," Elrohir snorted, crossing his arms. "She is no good. She never has been and she never will."  
  
"Perhaps to you maybe, but she is not of the gargoyle race," Elrond told his son.  
  
The group gasped. Legolas was very curious about this news and surprised.  
  
"But she looks like a gargoyle, except different colouring. How can she be a race other than gargoyle?" he asked.  
  
"That's because magic was involved. She told me that a long time ago, she drank something and then the transformation began into a gargoyle. I suspect that the reason it reversed was with Manlin's death. I also suspect that even though she will be her original race, the magic will still be there and she might have the capability of practising it more than we can because of it. Possibly even have after effects of being a gargoyle for so long," explained Elrond. "I cannot be certain yet."  
  
"How did you find out who it was?" wondered Thranduil as he sat next to Legolas.  
  
"By accident when I was taking care of her injuries. Thranduil, she is an elf and she is also from your kingdom," Elrond told him.  
  
"Wh...what?" Thranduil said, not certain he caught what Elrond had just said.  
  
"She is a Mirkwood elf," Elrond repeated.  
  
Thranduil couldn't believe what he was hearing. An elf from his own kingdom of Mirkwood had been transformed into a gargoyle for who knows how long!  
  
"Do Thranduil and Legolas know who this elf is? Have they ever met her before?" wondered Aragorn as he stepped forward.  
  
"Yes, they do know her. Actually, we all do," Elrond replied. "Well, except you Aragorn. You wouldn't have met her. She was before your time."  
  
"Well then, who is she?" wondered Legolas, sounding more anxious by each passing moment. "Tell us, please."  
  
Elrond gave a sigh before sitting down on the bed next to Legolas. But nothing prepared Legolas for what Elrond was about to tell him.  
  
"Legolas, the elf..." Elrond sighed, his eyes appearing sad. "It's Nanaylia."  
  
TBC...  
  
Author's Note-Dun dun dun. Well, how many people were expecting that now? I have a feeling a few of you probably did. And don't you just love me for ending the chapter like that? *innocently smiles* I think I'll shut up now and hope noone comes after me. Oh yes. And Haldir's Heart and Soul? Unless, of course, you have no more questions, I just hope that I haven't scared you into not asking questions anymore. (I just hope I haven't said anything wrong that possibly made a misunderstanding between us. Sometimes, my mouth speaks without thinking and I say the wrong thing with regret afterwards) 


	19. The End of a Long, Dark and Lonely Road

"Na...Nanay? But how can that be? She died all those years ago!" demanded Legolas, sounding upset.  
  
"I am not entirely certain how it happened but she came to be in Manlin's control despite that Legolas," Elrond replied. "He must have somehow managed to get her into the 'Dark Forest' and take it from there."  
  
Thranduil thought about it for a moment before sighing, knowing how it happened. He placed a hand over his eyes. Legolas saw him do this, the tears shimmering in his eyes.  
  
"When the wolves attacked us is how it happened," he said. "Her body was never found. He had taken her body before we could find it and we assumed it was wolves that had taken it. She did survive that incident, we simply did not find her in time."  
  
Elrohir was surprised at this. He had never expected the gargoyle to be an old friend of his at all. He was just about ready to eat his words from earlier as he stood, facing the floor.  
  
"I think I owe her an apology once she gets better," he quietly said as his brother and sister looked over at him.  
  
"Of course you do. Do you now think that Nanaylia would deliberately harm her brother? No, she never did and she never will. I'm just glad she's back to us. It's been too long," Elladan murmured. "She probably didn't even realize that she was doing it."  
  
"Now the four of you can have your another one of your 'war of the pranks' again but I don't think anything you do will come to be like the last one you had before Nanaylia disappeared," Chimone told them, stepping in between the two of them.  
  
"Why'd you have to bring that up Chimone?" wondered Elrohir with an impatient sigh. "They cheated on that one anyway."  
  
"Are you still angry about that incident? They defeated you fair and square Elrohir," Arwen said with a smile. "I should know. I remember it well. I was there and almost in the middle of it."  
  
Legolas looked over at them, the tears in his eyes. Thranduil placed a hand on his son's shoulder.  
  
"She's back," Legolas quietly said to his father. "She's finally back to us. I cannot believe this is truly happening."  
  
"That she is, Legolas. Go see her when you are able to do so," he replied.  
  
"Am I allowed to go see her now, Elrond? I need to see her so badly," Legolas wondered, the need to see his sister evident in his voice.  
  
Elrond nodded before helping the younger elf out of the bed. They headed out of the room. Elladan, wanting to see Nanaylia as well, began to walk after them but Chimone stopped him by grasping his arm.  
  
"They need to be alone at this time. They are siblings who were close, separated and now they are reunited," she told him, watching Elrond and Legolas walk away. "Imagine how you would feel if you were in their position."  
  
Elladan nodded, knowing the older elf was correct. He couldn't wait to see her again and Chimone could tell. She could see it in his eyes.  
  
***  
  
Elrond and Legolas walked up to the room and stopped. Legolas stared at the door, still wondering how to react to his sister's return.  
  
"Go inside Legolas. She will need you more now than she ever had before. Be the older brother you always have been and the one I've always known you to be," Elrond told him, a smile on his face.  
  
Legolas also gave a smile before walking into the room. Elrond closed the door as Legolas looked at the figure laying in the bed.  
  
"Nanay?" he quietly asked.  
  
The elf opened her eyes and turned her head to stare at him. Tears formed in her eyes as he walked over to her.  
  
"Nanay, it is you. I cannot believe it is really you," Legolas sighed as he sat down in the bed next to her.  
  
"Lego," she said. "I missed you so much."  
  
"I missed you so much as well," Legolas told her before leaning down and putting his arms around her though being mindful of his still painful injury and hers.  
  
She put her good arm around him, the both of them crying into each other shoulders.  
  
"I hope we aren't separated again," Legolas whispered in her ear. "It has been too long since we last seen each other. Far too long."  
  
"I hope so as well," Nanaylia quietly agreed, her eyes half-closed.  
  
Legolas looked at her as she closed her eyes halfway and fell asleep in his arms. He smiled as he decided to stay right where he was, not wanting to disturb her slumber.  
  
"Sleep soundly Nanay. You deserve it in more ways than one," he whispered into her ear.  
  
"And so do you," he heard her say which made him smile even more before he fell asleep himself.  
  
***  
  
Legolas ran across the grass with the Nanaylia following right behind him. She was screeching as she did so.  
  
"I'm going to get you eventually," she yelled at him, her arms reaching out for him.  
  
Thranduil and Elrond looked on as Legolas stopped and was joined by his sister. Elladan and Elrohir were nearby, planning their revenge for the last 'war of the pranks' between them.  
  
Nanaylia whispered something to Legolas and he giggled as he watched her quietly walk up to the twins. They were so engrossed in their work that they didn't notice her until it was too late. She jumped in between them and her wings appeared from her back, obscuring their view from what they were doing. The two began to protest and she hurried away from them, laughing. The two ran after her but she could not be caught.  
  
"You are so going to pay for that!" cried Elrohir. "I just might ask Elladan to put another arrow through one of those wings of yours!"  
  
"You wouldn't dare! Just try and catch me first if you do! I'm not easy to catch, you know," she replied, laughing.  
  
"I hated to see it happen like that," murmured Elrond as he stared at the wings on Nanaylia's back. "Such a pity it has to be this way. I hope those who know do not ridicule her because of it. It is also good that she had not been raped or sexually assaulted in any way during her capture. That part of her remains untouched. The same as it was before she disappeared."  
  
His suspicions were correct all along: with the slight magic still in her body, she was capable of performing it, the proof being that she was able to make the wings appear on her back, and further than that if she really wanted to, whenever she pleased and that was the only side effect from the ordeal she endured. Thranduil was a bit upset when he found out about it. He had also been a bit upset when he found out that his daughter desiring to study up more about the subject. He also even requested that no one outside the group know about it. He knew that Nanaylia would not want all of Middle-Earth to know about it. Thranduil even suggested Nanaylia not to reveal her condition to anyone unless it was absolutely necessary. The two older elves glanced over at Aragorn, who was laughing at the scene before him. The man had decided to stay until the Rivendell elves left for home. He wanted to get to know Nanaylia better while he had the chance to.  
  
"I don't like it either Elrond but she is still my daughter and I love her despite anything that she's done and endured. I'm just glad to have her back after all this time. I am also pleased that Manlin had not done anything to her in that way," Thranduil told him as they continued to watch the group. "And I am happy for Legolas' sake. I could tell that he was silently mourning still for her but nothing really triggered his emotions until what happened recently. In a sense, I'm glad the twins, Legolas and Aragorn went into that area. We would have never found her if they had not done so."  
  
Elrond nodded in agreement as they watched as Nanaylia ran after Legolas and she managed to tackle him to the ground. She towered over him and raised her hands on victory. Legolas looked up at her, chuckling.  
  
"You always do that!" Legolas laughed. "You will never change."  
  
"Of course I won't and I will always be with you, no matter what happens. You should know that Legolas," Nanaylia replied as she gave her brother a hug.  
  
All of a sudden, the twins came running up behind them and tackled her to the ground.  
  
"Get off of me!" she cried as she squirmed underneath Elladan.  
  
"We will. Just as soon as you say uncle," replied Elladan, a smile on his face.  
  
"Never! We cannot help the fact you fail to do better than us," Legolas told them as Elrohir tackled him to the ground.  
  
The twins were a bit surprised with this remark and Elrohir kept him pinned to the ground as his brother kept Nanaylia pinned to the ground. She looked at the elf hovering over her before kneeing him, hard, right where it really hurts and she climbed out from underneath him. Elladan was very surprised by this action as he looked at her He winced a little in pain and she saw this. The look on his face seemed to say 'what was that for?'  
  
"Just remember this dear Elladan. I still remember some of your weaknesses and I plan to exploit them as much as I possibly can. I also intend to use that move if you tend to get a little, ah-hum! I think you know where I am going my dear friend," she told him, laughter in her voice. "I do not remember everything but I think I remember most of it."  
  
He nodded as Elrohir back away from the two Mirkwood siblings and helped his brother walk to where they were sitting just a few minutes earlier. Legolas laughed alongside his sister as they watched them do so for both could see that Elladan was slightly limping from what he recently received from Nanaylia.  
  
"There are times I pity them. They never seem to do well at anything they try with us," Legolas said with a small sigh. "They'll never win when it comes to the war of the pranks!"  
  
"It definitely seems like that," she agreed before she began to run after him again.  
  
The End  
  
******  
  
Author's Note-Here is the end of the story. Hope you liked it. The two of them have been reunited. I had fun writing this and I hope you liked reading it. And forgive me for all the lines that I've taken right from 'Lion King'. (I.e. 'Did we order this dinner to go?' and 'You said you'd always be there for me.') Again, please forgive me for all the references I have made to 'The Lion King'. (From all the more obvious ones to the more subtle ones. *smiles*) And I also have to thank everyone who reviewed but especially Haldir's Heart and Soul and LalaithoftheBruinen. They have managed keep me sane the entire time I was putting this up. I've got a story in the works that occurs a number of years after this one and it's called 'Pirates of the Elven Seas'. Can anyone guess what it's a crossover with? 


End file.
